THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 


Claude  E.  Jones 


Q/~CtlU. 


MEMOIR 


o? 


REV.  JOHN  MOORE; 


SELECTIONS  FROM  HIS  CORRESPONDENCE, 


AND    OTHER    WRITINGS. 


JOHN  G.   ADAMS. 


"Therebeof  them,  that  hare  left  a  name  behind  them,  that  their  praises  might  be  reported.  .  .  .  But  theM  w«ra 
merciful  men,  whooe  righteononeaa  hath  not  been  forgotten.  .  .  .  Their  seed  shall  remain  forerer,  and  their  glory  ihall 
not  be  blotted  out.  Their  bodies  are  buried  in  peaee  ;  but  their  name  lireth  foreTennore.  The  people  will  tell  of 
their  wUdom,  and  the  congregation  will  Bhow  forth  their  praUe."  —  Ercununoua  44  :  8, 10, 13, 14, 16. 

"  A  food  minister  of  Jeroi  Christ."  —  IT™.  4:  6. 


BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED    BY    A.    TOMPKINS. 
1856. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1856,  by 

A.    TOMPKINS, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


Stereotyped  by 
HOBART    4    ROBBIES, 
England  Type  and  Stereotype  Foumierr, 
BOSTON. 


©X 

< 

Afc' 


M     E    M    O    I    R 

IS  RESPECTFULLY  AND    AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED 
TO 

[ye  Snrforsalisi  Societies  of  folncjj  pr.  ^toor-e  foas  Castor; 

TO  THE  DENOMISATION   WHOSE  NAME   AND   CAUSE  HE   LOVED   AND   HONORED  j 

AND  TO  THE  COMMUNITY  OF  TBCE  CHRISTIAN  SOULS  EVERYWHERE  J 

BY  THEIB  FRIESD  AND  FELLOW-SERVAHT, 

THE  AUTHOR. 


5r*~  r^»  *~*>  r~  • '"» 
SSS56 


PREFACE. 


IT  was  the  advice  of  Dr.  Arnold,  to  those  who 
sought  his  direction  as  to  a  course  of  reading,  — 
"Read  the  lives  of  good  men!"  Biography, 
representing  a  true  Christian  life,  is  one  of  the 
best  of  offerings  to  mankind.  It  shows  us  what 
the  statement  and  proof  of  a  theology,  what 
the  best  explanations  of  a  religion  in  words, 
never  can — the  truth  demonstrated  in  personal 
disposition  and  action.  Such  a  demonstration  is 
given  us  in  the  memoir  which  follows. 

To  most  of  the  Universalist  fraternity,  espe 
cially  in  New  England,  it  is  unnecessary  to  speak 
the  word  of  introduction  or  commendation  in  refer 
ence  to  the  faithful  and  honored  minister  of  the 
New  Testament  whose  history  is  here  recorded. 
For  more  than  thirty  years  he  was  one  of  the 
most  useful  and  highly-esteemed  clergymen  in  the 
denomination.  The  remembrances  of  his  minis 
try  in  Danvers,  Lynn,  and  Lowell,  Mass.,  Hart 
ford,  Conn.,  Troy,  N.  Y.,  Strafford,  Vt.,  and 
Lebanon,  and  Concord,  N.  EL,  are  full  of  pleas- 
1* 


VI  PREFACE. 

ing  interest  to  those  who  were  his  parishioners  in 
these  places ;  and  his  popularity  as  a  true  man 
and  useful  citizen  is  fresh  in  the  minds  of  multi 
tudes  out  of  the  particular  denominational  frater 
nity  to  which  he  belonged. 

His  sudden  departure  by  death,  in  February 
last  (stricken  down  as  he  was  in  the  maturity  and 
strength  of  his  manhood,  and  in  the  midst  of  his 
usefulness),  the  high  estimation  in  which  he  was 
held  wherever  known,  his  public  and  private 
character  as  a  true  minister  and  noble  man,  and 
the  ample  materials  available  for  an  interesting 
and  instructive"  biography,  are  reasons  enough  for 
the  issuing  of  this  volume. 

The  biographer  had  no  thought,  at  the  com 
mencement  of  the  year  just  gone,  that  before  its 
close  he  should  be  called  to  a  work  like  this.  But 
how  little  do  any  of  us  know  what  duty  is  next 
before  us  ;  what  new  scene  of  life  is  suddenly  to 
open,  in  which  we  shall  take  some  prominent  or 
humble  part!  Called  as  I  have  been  by  my  own 
inclinations  to  this  work,  and  entering  upon  it 
with  the  full  approval  of  the  family  and  special 
friends,  and  of  many  of  the  ministering  brethren 
of  Mr.  Moore,  I  have  sought  to  do  what  I  could 
to  render  the  Memoir  an  acceptable  offering  to 
the  many  who,  since  its  announcement,  have 
awaited  its  coming.  I  have  endeavored  to  repre 
sent  truthfully  the  man  and  the  minister,  as  he 
lived  and  acted  with  his  fellow-men  ;  to  permit 
him,  in  all  instances,  where  it  has  been  practicable, 
to  speak  for  himself,  in  his  own  language,  as  re- 


PREFACE.  VII 

corded  in  his  private  diary,  his  epistolary  corres 
pondence,  his  sermons,  or  published  communi 
cations  in  religious  journals. 

Although  the  subject  of  this  biography  was 
firmly  attached  to  a  particular  denomination,  his 
sympathies  were  not  confined  there.  He  was  a 
Christian  in  the  most  generous  and  enlarged  sense 
of  this  term ;  and  the  true  Christian,  whatever 
his  creed  may  be,  will  think  so,  if  he  will  open 
his  heart  to  the  teachings  of  this  good  man's  life. 
Rev.  John  Wesley,  on  reading  the  biography  of 
an  English  Unitarian,  became  so  deeply  impressed 
with  the  character  it  revealed,  that  he  published 
the  work  himself,  with  a  preface,  in  which  he 
says  :  "I  was  exceedingly  struck  at  reading  the 
following  life,  having  long  settled  it  in  my  mind 
that  to  entertain  wrong  notions  of  the  Trinity  was 
inconsistent  with  real  piety.  But  I  cannot  argue 
against  matter  of  fact.  I  dare  not  deny  that  Mr. 
Firman  was  a  pious  man,  although  his  notions  of 
the  Trinity  were  quite  erroneous."  Thus  will 
the  Christian  spirit  and  life  commend  themselves 
to  the  good  consciences  of  all  who  would  seek 
the  highest  and  best  manifestations  of  the  reli 
gion  of  the  Son  of  God  ;  and  thus  will  the  life 
which  these  pages  unfold  bring  its  own  welcome 
to  all  readers  of  it  "who  love  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  in  sincerity." 

The  book  has  been  prepared — let  me  remark 
— amid  the  pressure  of  the  many  duties  of  a  city 
pastor's  life.  How  it  has  been  done,  I  can  hardly 
explain,  any  further  than  by  saying,  that  I  have 


VIII  PREFACE. 

thought  and  wrought  in  all  the  time  I  could  spare 
to  this  pursuit,  and  the  result  is  what  the  reader 
now  has  in  hand.  I  bless  God,  not  only  for 
health  and  strength  through  the  work,  but  for 
that  inward  spiritual  inspiration  and  aid  imparted 
to  me  through  communion  with  the  true  soul 
whose  ministries  of  heavenly  grace  I  have  en 
deavored  to  record. 

My  thanks  are  due  to  the  family  of  our  brother 
for  their  aid  in  the  prosecution  of  this  work,  and 
to  the  friends  who  have  so  readily  given  me  ac 
cess  to  his  letters  in  their  possession.  They  will 
see,  as  they  read,  how  their  favors  have  contrib 
uted  to  the  value  of  the  book. 

With  these  statements,  I  commend  this  biog 
raphy  to  the  reader.  He  will  find,  as  he  con 
sults  it,  that  he  is  in  company  with  one  of  the 
pure,  and  true,  and  excellent,  of  the  earth.  May 
he  be  so  influenced  by  the  character  herein 
delineated,  as  to  feel  the  force  of  the  poet's 
words : 

"  Great  souls  are  portions  of  eternity  ; 

Each  drop  of  blood  that  e'er  through  true  heart  ran, 
With  holy  message,  ran  for  thee  and  me ; 

For  God's  law,  since  the  starry  song  began, 
Hath  been,  and  still  forevermore  shall  be, 

That  every  deed,  to  overlive  Time's  span, 
Must  goad  the  soul  to  be  erect  and  free." 

J.  G.  A. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 
INTRODUCTION, 11 

CHAPTER   1. 

PARENTAGE,  BIRTH,  AND  EARLY  LIFE, 17 

CHAPTER   II. 
ENTERS  THE  MINISTRY, 26 

CHAPTER   III. 
FIRST  MINISTRY  IN  LEBANON,     31 

CHAPTER   IV. 
MINISTRY  IN  DANVERS, 53 

CHAPTER    V. 
SECOND  MINISTRY  IN  LEBANON, 86 

CHAPTER   VI. 
MINISTRY  IN  HARTFORD, 120 

CHAPTER   VII. 
MINISTRY  IN  HARTFORD, 177 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

.                                                                                                                           PAGB 
MINISTRY  IN  THOY, 204 

CHAPTER    IX. 
MINISTRY  IN  LOWELL, 219 

CHAPTER    X. 
MINISTRY  IN  LYNN, 236 

CHAPTER   XI. 
MINISTRY  IN  STRAFFORD,     250 

CHAPTER   XII. 
MINISTRY  IN  CONCORD,     265 

CHAPTER    XIII. 
His  DEATH, 301 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

PERSONAL  AND  PROFESSIONAL  CHARACTER.    TESTIMONIALS,     .   .   .   .311 

CHAPTER    XV. 
TRIBUTE  OF  THE  KEFORJI  ASSOCIATION, 331 

CHAPTER    XVI. 
A  WORD  ABOUT  THE  MINISTRY, 335 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

TEACHINGS  AND  APPLICATIONS  OF  HIS  FAITH, 338 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

BIOGRAPHER'S  CONCLUDING  REMARKS, 354 

POETICAL  TRIBUTE, 358 


MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 


INTRODUCTORY. 

"  SHOW  thyself  a  man."  This  was  one  of  the  special 
directions  of  David  to  his  son  Solomon.  Man  is  a 
great  term  to  be  applied  to  any  one,  whether  he  be  num 
bered  among  the  living  or  dead.  To  be  a  true  man  is 
to  be  one  of  the  noblest  of  existences.  Parts,  frag 
ments  of  the  mankind  nature  are  there  scattered  over  the 
wide  earth.  They  are  in  its  high  and  low  places.  They 
carry  on  the  intercourse  of  nations ;  take  charge  of  the 
world's  interests ;  command  and  obey,  serve  and  are 
served;  they  labor,  hope,  rejoice,  suffer,  live,  and  die. 
Most  of  them  do  not  answer  to  David's  requisition  of 
Solomon ;  do  not  manifest  in  themselves  that  true  man 
liness  of  which  our  nature  is  susceptible,  and  without 
which  in  some  good  degree  of  development  this  nature 
cannot  most  effectually  bless  the  world. 

And  what  constitutes  a  man?  Not  outward  form, 
good  bodily  proportions,  physical  health  and  activity; 


12  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

not  excess  of  mental  power  in  any  ene  direction;  not 
startling  and  commanding  genius.  These  may  all  exist 
where  much  of  manliness  is  wanting.  Nor  is  this  great 
virtue  seen  in  an  excess  of  what  is  called  religious  en- 
gagedness  and  zeal.  True  manliness  comes  of  a  fair  and 
even  balance  of  character ;  of  a  good  and  clear  mind ; 
of  a  truthful  and  generous  soul;  of  a  spirit  devoted, 
according  to  the  measure  of  ita  powers,  to  the  service 
of  God  and  to  the  welfare  of  his  children.  It  is  that 
character  whose  leading  peculiarities  are,  love  of  truth, 
justice,  humanity,  reverence  for  God,  humility,  moral 
courage,  and  independence,  modified  by  that  wisdom 
which,  in  reproving  all  unrighteousness,  would  not  for 
get  the  love  that  "vaunteth  not  itself,"  but  "  beareth, 
hopeth,  endureth  all  things."  Large-heartedness  is, 
perhaps,  as  comprehensive  a  term  as  can  be  used  by 
which  to  designate  the  true  man.  Such  manliness  was 
there  in  him  to  the  record  of  whose  life  we  would  devote 
the  following  pages. 

It  is  a  great  thing,  also,  to  be  a  Christian  minister : 
one  answering  to  the  simple  yet  comprehensive  descrip 
tion  of  the  apostle,  "  a  good  minister  of  Jesus  Christ." 
There  are  parts  of  ministers,  as  well  as  parts  of  men. 
He  is  not  always  the  best  minister  who  has  most  theo 
logical  wisdom  and  strength,  or  scientific  knowledge,  or 
eloquence  of  speech.  Such  a  one  may  or  may  not  answer 
to  this  simple  apostolic  definition.  To  be  a  good  min 
ister  is  to  be  blest  with  such  a  character  as  is  needful  in 
the  various  branches  of  the  ministerial  work.  It  is  to 


INTRODUCTORY.  13 

have  not  only  clearness,  force,  or  "  excellency  of  speech," 
but  readiness  to  communicate  socially  with  men ;  power 
to  adapt  itself  to  the  different  phases  of  human  society  ; 
sympathy  that  can  enter  into  the  feelings  of  others ;  a 
sense  of  propriety  such  as  shall  forbid  the  evil  accusa 
tion,  and  commend  itself  even  to  friend  or  opponent, — 
in  short,  "  to  every  man's  conscience."  It  is  to  "  be  in 
stant  in  season,  out  of  season,"  in  the  work  of  truth  and 
righteousness ;  a  servant  of  all  men ;  a  humble,  devoted, 
self-sacrificing,  faithful  "  steward  of  the  manifold  grace  of 
God."  Such  a  minister  was  the  beloved  brother  to  the 
narration  of  whose  inward  and  outward  life  we  would 
now  attend.  He  was,  emphatically,  the  good  Minister 
and  the  true  Man. 

"  One  thing  I  have  learned  by  growing  experience," 
writes  Dr.  Channing,  "how  much  more  the  happiness 
and  usefulness  of  life  depend  on  a  right  balance  of  mind 
than  on  remarkable  gifts.  I  am  lees  and  less  a  worshipper 
of  mere  intellect."  He  was  right  iu  this  estimate.  It 
is  a  just  one.  It  is  not  the  intellectuality  but  the  spirit 
uality  of  men  that  will  secure  to  them  true  life  and  sal 
vation.  Much  of  the  intellectual  power  of  mankind  has 
helped  to  dishonor  and  scourge  the  world,  and  not  to 
elevate  and  redeem  it.  Most  of  those  called  greatest 
among  men  have  not  been  the  world's  noblest  heroes.  If 
we  seek  for  these,  we  must  look  for  such  as  have  most 
nearly  lived  according  to  that  Teacher  who  has  given  us 
his  ideal  of  human  heroism  in  this  expressive  direction: 
"  Whosoever  will  be  greatest  among  you,  let  him  be  the 
2 


14  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

servant  of  all."  It  is  one  peculiarity  of  his  truth  that 
it  reveals  a  heroism  after  which  all  men  may  justly 
aspire, —  the  least  and  most  gifted,  the  frailest  and 
strongest  who  have  their  lot  in  this  stern  life,  and  need 
a  power  above  what  earthliness  can  aiford  to  aid  in  an 
swering  this  life's  demands.  It  is  the  heroism  of  good 
ness, —  a  heroism  witnessed  in  hinrwho  not  only  taught 
by  heavenly  authority,  and  "  spake  as  never  man  spake/' 
but  who  "went  about  doing  good,"  and  laid  down  his 
life  for  the  world ;  a  heroism  that  has  shone  in  apostles, 
martyrs,  servants  of  God  and  his  truth,  in  many  an  hour 
of  the  world's  history  ;  a  heroism  which  rests  not  alto 
gether  with  those  whose  names  may  be  oftenest  and  most 
loudly  repeated  by  the  world,  but  which  rises  in  many  a 
pilgrim  path  and  still  retreat,  where  human  hearts  beat 
in  unison  with  heaven,  and  human  hands  are  doing  their 
humblest  duty  in  faith,  and  hope,  and  love. 

While  the  world  admires  and  celebrates  the  exploits 
of  its  warriors,  kings,  emperors,  its  chief  captains  and 
mighty  men,  it  were  well  to  inquire  (because  this  is  a 
question  yet  to  be  answered,  as  the  limited  progress  of 
our  race  has  not  yet  permitted  to  be),  how  far  all  these 
have  contributed  to  the  moral  advancement,  the  true 
glory,  of  their  race.  We  cannot  count  greatness  of  a 
very  high  order  where,  when  its  merits  are  asked,  a  con 
sideration  like  this  is  left  out  of  sight.  The  world  may 
bow  down  before  it,  or  sing  hallelujahs  in  its  praise,  as  it 
has  done,  does  now,  and  will  do  again.  But  in  the 
light  of  the  Christian  dispensation  such  homage  must  be 


INTRODUCTORY.  15 

largely  and  specially  qualified,  to  say  the  least.  While, 
under  Christian  teachings,  we  are  directed  to  ' '  render 
unto  all  their  dues, — tribute  to  "whom  tribute,  honor  to 
whom  honor,"  yet  if  we  wish  to  know  and  understand 
the  noblest  heroism  of  which  our  nature  is  capable,  we 
may  seek  our  audience  of  those  who  have  appeared  id 
our  world  to  turn  men  from  error  to  truth,  from  sin  to 
holiness,  hatred  to  love,  unreconciliation  to  harmony  with 
God  and  heaven.  It  is  a  heroism  which  speaks  through 
Paul  in  this  sublime  direction :  "  For  as  many  as  are  led 
by  the  spirit  of  God,  they  are  the  sons  of  God.  What 
shall  we  say,  then  ?  Shall  we  continue  in  sin  that  grace 
may  about  ?  God  forbid.  How  shall  we  that  are  dead 
to  sin  live  any  longer  therein?"  A  heroism  to  which 
James  refers  when  he  says,  ' '  Brethren,  if  any  of  you  do 
err  from  the  truth,  and  one  convert  him,  let  him  know 
that  he  which  converteth  the  sinner  from  the  error  of  his 
way  shall  save  a  soul  from  death,  and  shall  hide  a  mul 
titude  of  sins."  It  is  a  heroism  of  which  we  hear  in  the 
testimony  of  Pliny  to  the  Emperor  Trajan,  in  reference 
to  the  early  Christians  :  "  They  bound  themselves  by  an 
oath  not  to  be  guilty  of  any  wickedness,  never  to  falsify 
their  word,  nor  to  deny  a  pledge  committed  to  them  when 
called  upon  to  return  it."  It  is  a  heroism  which,  from 
age  to  age,  hath  found  utterance  in  human  life ;  which 
has  borne  its  ready  and  solemn  testimony  against  human 
wrong ;  has  strengthened  the  weak,  opened  the  eyes  of 
the  blind,  raised  up  the  fallen,  sought  out  and  brought 
back  the  wandering  from  the  ways  of  sin,  awakened 


16  MEMOIK  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

strongest  aspirations  after  the  wisdom  that  is  from  above, 
and  inspired  souls  with  holiest  hopes  of  immortality. 
Of  such  are  the  world's  truest  heroes,  because  "  of  such 
are  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  They  "are  the  salt  of 
the  earth,"  even  while  the  earth  knows  not  what  influ 
ence  it  is  that  keeps  it  from  corruption.  They  are  the 
world's  light ;  the  brighter  and  better  the  more  dense 
this  world's  darkness.  They  are  the  "  wise,"  whose 
counsels  turn  human  hearts  to  righteousness,  and  of 
whom  it  was  anciently  written,  "  They  shall  shine  as  the 
brightness  of  the  firmament,  and  as  the  stars  for  ever 
and  ever."  In  this  good  company  of  heaven's  chosen 
ones  do  we  account  him  whose  life-story  now  invites  our 
attention  and  contemplation. 


CHAPTER    1. 

PARENTAGE,   BIRTH,   AND   EARLY   LIFE. 

JOHN  MOORE  was  born  in  Strafford,  Vermont,  Febru 
ary  5,  1797.  His  parents  were  Joshua  and  Dorothy- 
Moore.  His  father  was  born  in  Kittery,  Maine,  in 
1767;  his  mother  (Dorothy  Moody),  in  Gilmanton,  New 
Hampshire,  in  1770.  Two  sisters,  older  than  himself, 
died  in  early  life.  He  was  the  eldest  of  six  surviving 
sons  and  one  daughter.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  in 
which  occupation  the  son  took  part  most  of  the  time 
from  his  boyhood  to  his  thirtieth  year. 

The  early  education  of  Mr.  Moore  was  obtained  at  the 
district  school,  with  the  exception  of  what  knowledge  he 
gained,  in  his  eighteenth  year,  in  a  country  store,  and  in 
teaching  school  for  the  brief  term  of  three  months.  In 
his  nineteenth  year  his  father  died,  leaving  his  mother 
with  seven  children.  John  being  the  eldest  of  them,  it 
devolved  upon  him  to  assist  in  settling  the  estate,  as  also 
to  take  charge  of  the  farm. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  in  February,  1818,  he  was 
.2* 


18  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

married  to  Miss  Mary  Alger,  daughter  of  Silas  and 
Elizabeth  Alger,  of  Strafford.  Two  sons  were  added  to 
the  family,  the  youngest  of  which,  Jedediah  Harris,  died 
at  Lebanon,  March  5,  1831.  The  eldest,  John  Harvey, 
still  living,  is  in  the  same  ministry  which  his  worthy 
parent  so  long  honored. 

The  early  home  influences  of  Mr.  Moore  were  favor 
able  to  the  good  development  of  his  manliness.  His 
parents  were  very  mindful  of  the  physical  rearing  and 
religious  culture  of  their  children.  They  sought  to 
instruct  them  in  the  holy  principles  of  Christianity. 
The  father  numbered  himself  with  the  Freewill  Bap 
tists,  and  took  his  children  to  the  meetings  of  that  sect ; 
yet  he  was  no  small  sectarian  in  his  views.  The  tend 
encies  of  his  mind  were  to  Universalism.  The  mother 
was  quite  a  decided  believer  in  the  doctrine  of  the  recon 
ciliation.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Moore  was  also  a  Univer- 
salist. 

In  the  year  1818  there  was  a  great  religious  excite 
ment  in  Strafford  and  its  neighborhood.  It  called  the 
attention  of  young  Moore  to  the  subject  of  a  religious 
life,  and  induced  him  to  make  a  public  profession  of 
religion,  by  receiving  the  rite  of  baptism  at  the  hands 
of  Rev.  Aaron  Buzzell,  of  the  Freewill  Baptist  church, 
with  the  full  understanding  that  the  subject  was  a  be 
liever  in  the  final  holiness  and  happiness  of  all  men. 
For  this  had  been  the  first  doctrinal  conviction  he  had 
received  ;  a  conviction  affording  him  "  all  joy  and  peace,'' 
and  in  which  all  that  he  saw  in  Christianity  appeared  in 


HIS   EARLY  LITE.  19 

the  highest  degree  attractive  and  glorious,  worthy  of 
God,  and  indispensable  to  the  truest  life  of  his  moral 
offspring.  He  had,  like  others,  passed  through  severe 
exercises  of  mind  on  the  subject  of  religion.  He  was 
an  honest  inquirer  after  truth, —  a  seeker  of  its  light  and 
enjoyment.  But  his  conflicts  were  never  carried  on 
under  the  fear  of  infinite  wrath  and  threatened  endless 
woe.  His  mind  had  its  doubts,  its  darkness,  and  obscur 
ity,  and  he,  for  a  time,  found  not  that  rest  and  peace  for 
which  he  often  longed.  But  there  came  an  end  of  this 
preliminary  strife.  His  doubts  were  removed ;  his  dark 
ness  was  dispersed  by  a  clear  perception  of  the  Father 
of  lights ;  his  hopes  for  the  future  strengthened  and  con 
firmed  by  seeing  Jesus  as  "the  resurrection  and  the 
life,"  who  "  tasted  death  for  every  man."  Such  was  his 
early  religious  experience ;  and  from  that  we  may  date 
his  growth  in  divine  knowledge  and  grace.  Another  * 
has  truly  written  of  him:  "  John  Moore  never  could  have 
believed  any  partial,  narrow  creed.  His  heart  yearned 
for  all  mankind,  and  he  could  easily  believe  that  all  were 
embraced  in  the  great  purpose  of  the  good  Father's  love. 
What  he  believed  upon  this  subject  he  believed  with  all 
his  soul ;  and  his  faith  afforded  him  inexpressible  pleasure. 
That  pleasure  he  could  not  confine  to  his  own  heart.  He 
desired  that  others  might  share  it  with  him.  Accordingly 
he  chose  the  ministry  of  reconciliation  as  that  sphere 
which  was  most  congenial  with  his  desires,  and  in  which 

*  Rev.  C.  H.  Fay. 


20  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

he  could  most  largely  promote  the  welfare  and  happiness 
of  mankind." 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  birth  of  Mr.  Moore,  Calvinism 
had  been  the  principal  form  of  Christian  faith  in  Ver 
mont.  But  few  Methodists  or  Arminians  had  been 
known  there.  In  1803,  at  the  time  of  the  removal  of 
Rev.  Hosea  Ballou  to  Barnard,  there  were  quite  a  num 
ber  of  Universalist  ministers  in  the  state.  Of  these 
we  may  mention  the  names  of  Rev.  William  Farwell, 
Rev.  Walter  Ferris,  Rev.  C.  G.  Parsons,  and  Rev.  Joab 
Young.  The  last-named  person  was  minister  in  Strafford 
in  the  early  days  of  Mr.  Moore.  He  was  an  effective 
and  quite  popular  preacher,  although  in  after  life  his 
usefulness  became  somewhat  impaired.  In  1802  the 
meeting  of  the  General  Convention  of  Universalists  took 
place  in  Strafford,  at  which  meeting  a  committee*  was 
appointed  to  form  a  plan  of  faith  and  fellowship  for  the 

*  This  committee  consisted  of  George  Richards,  Hosea  Ballou,  Wal 
ter  Ferris,  and  Zephaniah  Lathe.  The  Confession  of  Faith  which  they 
reported,  and  •which  was  adopted  by  the  convention,  is  as  follows  : 

"  ART.  1.  We  believe  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  contain  a  revelation  of  the  character  of  God,  and  of  the 
duty,  interest,  and  final  destination,  of  mankind. 

"  ART.  II.  We  believe  that  there  is  one  God,  whose  nature  is  love, 
revealed  in  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  one  Holy  Spirit  of  Grace,  who 
will  finally  restore  the  whole  family  of  mankind  to  holiness  and  hap 
piness. 

"  ART.  III.  We  believe  that  holiness  and  true  happiness  are  insep 
arably  connected  ;  and  that  believers  ought  to  be  careful  to  maintain 
order,  and  practise  good  works  ;  for  these  things  are  good  and  profit 
able  unto  men." 


HIS   EARLY   LIFE.  21 

acceptance  and  union  of  the  fraternity  at  large.  In 
the  early  part  of  Mr.  Young's  ministry  the  Universalists 
erected  a  meeting-house  in  this  place ;  and  since  then 
they  have  quite  constantly  maintained  public  worship. 

During  the  busy  agricultural  pursuits  of  Mr.  Moore 
in  his  early  manhood,  he  had  very  strong  desires  to 
become  a  public  advocate  of  the  faith  he  cherished. 
Circumstances,  however,  seemed  to  forbid  this  course. 
His  education  was  not  what  he  would  have  it ;  he  was 
involved  in  other  business,  which  he  felt  that  he  could 
not  abandon  at  will ;  and  he  dreaded  to  take  any  step 
that  would  not  be  judicious,  and  prove  righteously  suc 
cessful.  No  young  man  in  the  place  stood  higher  in 
character  than  he,  enjoying  as  he  did  the  confidence  and 
fellowship  of  all  the  various  sects  as  a  Christian,  although 
in  their  view  he  had  embraced  some  wrong  opinions  in 
theology.  These,  however,  were  not  merely  opinions 
with  him,  but  convictions,  which  constituted,  in  his 
estimation,  the  exceeding  riches  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
They  were  to  him,  as  he  writes  of  them,  "the  bread  of 
life,  on  which  he  feasted  by  faith,  and  which  gave  him 
increase  of  strength  in  the  truth,  and  joy  in  contemplat 
ing  the  destruction  of  all  sin,  and  the  salvation  of  all 
sinners."  He  had  true  fellowship  of  heart  for  all  sin 
cere  Christians,  irrespective  of  their  sectarian  names, 
and  always  did  what  he  could  to  support  the  institutions 
of  Christianity.  When  preaching  in  conformity  with 
his  own  views  could  not  be  enjoyed,  he  was  willing  to 


22  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

contribute  something  for  that  which  might  come  nearest 
to  it  in  his  estimation. 

The  faith  which  it  was  now  the  great  desire  of  his 
soul  to  proclaim,  and  enforce,  and  honor,  in  his  ministry, 
we  present  in  this  full  and  excellent  statement,  which  came 
from  his  pen  in  after  life.  It  is  one  of  the  most  com 
plete  embodiments  of  the  faith  in  words  -that  we  have 
ever  seen. 

"  UNIVERSALISM ;  —  what  is  it?  what  does  it  pro 
pose  ?  to  what  does  it  tend  ?  These  are  questions  of 
importance,  especially  to  all  those  who  are  desirous  of 
being  satisfied  in  their  own  minds,  by  the  exercise  of 
their  own  reason,  as  to  the  truth  or  falsity  of  any  sys 
tem  claiming  to  be  the  truth  of  God.  Universalism  in 
theory  is  the  idea  of  an  all-perfect  God,  who  created  the 
universe  for  the  display  of  his  glory,  and  the  good  of  all 
that  he  created.  It  is  the  idea  of  a  Mediator  between 
God  and  man, —  Jesus  Christ, —  who,  in  his  doctrine  and 
character,  exhibited  both  the  perfection  of  God  and  the 
perfection  of  man.  It  is  the  idea  of  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
truth,  which  is  sent  forth  to  all  the  world,  and,  when 
followed,  guides  men  into  all  moral  truth.  Or,  as  the 
apostle  has  it,  '  There  is  one  God,  and  one  Mediator 
between  God  and  men, —  the  man  Christ  Jesus,  who 
gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all,  to  be  testified  in  due 
time.'  This  is  Universalism  in  theory.  In  practice, 
Universalism  is  the  loving  of  God  supremely  as  our 
Father,  and  the  doing  to  all  men  in  all  things  as  we 
would  they  should  do  unto  us.  It  proposes  to  make  all 


HIS   EARLY  LIFE.  23 

who  believe  its  doctrine,  and  carry  that  doctrine  out  in 
practice,  just  what  the  honor  and  highest  happiness  of 
man  requires.  It  presents  for  human  consideration  truths 
and  purposes  in  regard  to  the  character  and  will  of  God, 
concerning  the  objects  and  certain  result  of  the  divine 
government,  to  which  all  moral  beings  are  amenable, 
which  are  at  once  cheering  and  purifying,  as  it  proposes 
to  bring  all  intelligences  into  a  state  of  holiness  and  hap 
piness  in  the  kingdom  of  immortality.  And  hence  its 
tendency  is  to  induce  supreme  love  to  God,  as  the  Divine 
Originator  of  that  wonderful  plan  of  grace  manifested 
and  exemplified  in  his  Son,  and  which,  while  it  admits 
of  a  just  retribution  to  every  sinner  according  to  his 
works,  at  the  same  time  contemplates  the  final  destruc 
tion  of  all  sin,  and  the  salvation  of  all  sinners.  This, 
and  nothing  short  of  this,  is  worthy  of  the  God  of 
heaven.  This,  and  nothing  short  of  this,  is  according  to 
the  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ.  This,  and  nothing  short 
of  this,  meets  and  satisfies  the  desires  begotten  in  the 
soul  by  the  Holy  Spirit." 

Before  he  entered  the  ministry,  the  Universalists  in 
Strafford  resolved  to  hold  meetings  once  in  each  month, 
whether  they  had  a  stated  ministry  or  not.  They  would 
have  a  sermon  read,  and  other  services  observed,  depend 
ing  upon  themselves  and  the  God  of  all  wisdom  for 
means  to  conduct  their  meeting.  Mr.  Moore  began  with 
them  to  officiate  as  leader  in  the  services,  to  good  accept 
ance,  as  we  have  reason  to  believe.  This  served  to 


24  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

increase  his  desire  to  devote  his  whole  time  to  the  work 
of  the  ministry. 

We  have  said  that  his  education  was  limited.  It  was 
not  what  he  would  have  had  it  when  he  thought  of  enter 
ing  the  ministry.  During  his  years  of  labor  in  manhood 
he  had  not  been  able  to  devote  himself  closely  to  consulta 
tion  with  books,  although  his  few  literary  advantages  had 
been  very  well  improved.  With  one  book,  however,  he 
was  familiar;  we  mean  the  Bible.  It  had  been  "the 
man  of  his  counsel ;'  from  his  earliest  years ;  and  it  ever 
remained  such.  He  had  found  the  plainest  evidences, 
the  strongest  confirmations,  "  line  upon  line,"  of  his  faith 
there.  It  was  usually  the  first  adviser  which  he  con 
sulted.  He  sought  its  meaning  according  to  his  own 
reading  of  it,  and  then  looked,  as  he  had  occasion,  for 
what  other  commentators  might  have  to  say.  This  gave 
him  freshness  in  the  Scriptures ;  readiness  in  the  use  of 
them.  It  was  an  accomplishment  which  made  him  strong 
and  successful  in  his  ministerial  work.  Truly  might  it 
be  said  of  him  that  his  faith  and  his  ministry  "  were  born, 
not  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  the  word  of  God,  that 
liveth  and  abide th  forever." 

This  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  Scriptures  was  a 
peculiarity  in  the  character  of  our  ministry  in  those 
days;  and,  we  may  confidently  add,  of  our  laity  also. 
Many  of  the  latter,  the  fathers  and  mothers  of  our  de 
nomination  in  New  England,  were  well  versed  in  the 
Book  of  books.  They  could  quote  chapter  and  verse 
with  all  readiness,  in  proof  of  their  faith.  A  "  thus 


HIS  EARLY  LIFE.  25 

saith  the  Lord"  was  to  them  of  the  highest  conse 
quence  when  they  would  vindicate  this  faith,  or  defend  it 
against  the  strong  opposition  it  was  so  frequently  called 
to  encounter.  There  were  some  such  among  the  Univer- 
salists  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mr.  Moore's  residence,  who 
were  aids  to  him  in  his  inquiries  after  Christian  truth. 
3 


CHAPTER    II. 

ENTERS    THE    MINISTRY. 

THE  subject  "which,  for  a  long  time,  had  occupied  the 
thoughts  of  our  friend  —  the  theme  of  his  contemplations 
by  day,  and  of  his  dreams  by  night — at  last  so  absorbed 
him  that  he  resolved  to  enter  the  ministry.  Others,  less 
qualified  than  himself,  had  entered  it,  and  he  had  seen 
evidences  of  the  good  they  had  accomplished.  Besides, 
he  could  "improve  his  gifts,"  not  only  by  public  speak 
ing,  but  by  study  and  discipline  of  mind.  Why  might 
he  not  succeed  ?  He  knew  whom  he  believed ;  he  knew 
the  scriptural  evidences  of  his  faith,  and  the  usual  argu 
ments  by  which  it  was  supported.  He  knew  human  na 
ture;  was  a  man  of  the  people:  and  could  speak  to 
their  understandings,  because  he  had  excellent  common 
sense,  and  to  their  hearts,  because  he  had  a  large  one 
of  his  own.  But  he  was  distrustful  of  himself,  and  could 
not  venture,  without  great  confidence,  into  the  work.  He 
thought  that,  "if  he  could  get  folks  to  hear  him,"  he 
might  venture  to  improve  his  opportunities  for  addressing 


ENTERS   THE   MINISTRY.  27 

them ;  and  this,  too,  after  he  had  resolved  to  enter  the 
ministry,  and  his  time  was  all  taken  up  in  engagements 
to  preach!  "  The  first  time,"  writes  Rev.  Lemuel  Willis, 
"  I  met  with  him,  was  at  the  General  Convention  of  Uni- 
versalists  of  the  New  England  States  and  others,  holden 
in  Warner,  N.  H.,  September,  1822.  I  recollect  he 
arose  in  the  midst  of  that  body,  and  his  manly  and  be 
nignant  personal  appearance,  and  the  earnest  religious 
spirit  that  characterized  his  address  to  the  assembly  of 
ministers  and  delegates  there  convened,  caused  every  one 
present  to  be  favorably  impressed  in  relation  to  him, 
young  though  he  was,  who  appeared  on  that  occasion  not 
as  a  clergyman,  but  as  a  delegate  from  the  Universalist 
society  in  Strafford,  Vt.,  where  he  had  been  brought 
up.  This  was  two  or  three  years  before  he  entered 
the  ministry." 

Rev.  Thomas  Whittemore  also  writes:  "  My  first 
meeting  with  him  was  at  the  General  Convention  in 
Strafford,  Vt.,  in  1824.  He  had  not  then  commenced 
preaching,  though  he  had,  doubtless,  the  desire,  and 
perhaps  the  intention,  to  devote  his  life  to  the  Gospel 
ministry.  He  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-seven,  and 
was  one  of  the  committee  appointed  by  the  Universal- 
ists  of  Strafford  •  to  see  that  all  the  delegates  and  vis 
itors,  old  and  young,  male  and  female,  Universalists, 
half-Universalists,  and  anti-Universalists  (for  we  had 
some  of  all  these  classes  at  that  convention),  were  well 
taken  care  of, —  a  business  in  which  the  young  man  took 
much  interest. 


28  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

y 

"  Shortly  after  this,  we  heard  that  he  intended  to 
preach ;  and  those  who  knew  him  said,  '  He  will  make  a 
useful  man,  whom  all  will  love,  and  he  will  never  dis 
honor  the  cause.'  The  leading  traits  of  his  character 
were  humility,  hope,  a  desire  to  do  all  men  good,  and  a 
love  of  social  life." 

In  October,  1825,  he  applied  to  the  Northern  Associa 
tion,  then  holding  its  annual  session  in  Danville,  Vt., 
for  a  letter  of  fellowship  as  a  candidate  for  the  Chris 
tian  ministry,  which  was  readily  granted.  And  on 
the  first  Sunday  in  December  following  he  commenced 
his  ministry,  under  this  new  encouragement,  in  his 
native  town. 

There  are  not  a  few  interesting  accounts  given  of  the 
first  attempts  at  preaching  made  by  those  who  afterwards 
proved  themselves  to  be  eminent  or  very  useful  ministers. 
Rev.  Robert  Hall,  after  naming  the  text  of  his  first  at 
tempted  discourse,  proceeded  to  speak,  said  a  few  words, 
and  soon  sat  down,  with  the  exclamation,  "  I  've  lost  all 
my  ideas !  "  Rev.  Hosea  Ballou  says  of  his  second 
attempt  that  it  was  a  failure ;  that  he  was  greatly  morti 
fied,  and  thought  for  a  time  he  would  not  engage  in  a 
work  for  which  he  was  not  competent.  Mr.  Moore,  we 
believe,  had  but  one  serious  trial  of  this  kind.  On  his 
way  home,  after  having  received  his  letter  of  fellow 
ship  at  the  Northern  Association,  he  came  to  Barre, 
where  an  evening  lecture  had  been  appointed,  and  was 
unexpectedly  called  upon  to  do  the  principal  discoursing 
of  the  occasion.  It  was  with  some  reluctance  that  he 


ENTERS    THE   MINISTRY.  29 

complied,  in  consequence  of  the  suddenness  of  the  call. 
He  had  a  good  audience,  and  conducted  the  services  with 
out  embarrassment  until  he  came  to  the  sermon.  After 
naming  his  text,  he  proceeded  to  express  his  thoughts, 
all  the  time  feeling  that  the  next  sentence  would  exhaust 
him  bodily  and  mentally.  He  thus  continued  for  about 
twenty  minutes,  and  at  length  closed,  thankful  for  a  re 
lease  from  his  embarrassment,  and  feeling  that  he  had 
made  an  utter  failure.  The  hearers,  however,  did  not 
thus  judge.  They  concluded  that  the  preacher  had  given 
them  the  actual  meat  of  the  Gospel.  Returning  with  a 
friend  to  his  home  for  the  night,  the  kind  lady  of  the 
house  urged  him  to  take  some  refreshment,  remarking 
somewhat  emphatically,  as  the  preacher  then  thought, 
that  after  such  an  effort  he  must  be  fatigued  !  These 
words  went  heavily  home  to  the  preacher's  heart,  hearing, 
as  he  thought  he  did  in  them,  one  of  the  severest  of 
comments  upon  his  discourse.  The  speaker  of  them, 
however,  entertained  no  such  intentions.  She  really 
meant  what  she  said ;  for  the  preaching  of  the  new  min 
ister  had  been  very  acceptable  to  her,  as  it  had  been  to 
others. 

At  the  next  annual  session  of  the  Northern  Associa 
tion,  in  Barre,  in  October,  1826,  his  ordination  took  place. 
The  services  were  as  follows :  Introductory  Prayer,  by 
Rev.  Nathaniel  Wright,  Jr.,  of  Boston  ;  Sermon,  by 
Rev.  J.  Wallace,  from  Matt.  5  :  16,  —  "  Let  your  light 
so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see  your  good  works, 
and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven;  "  Ordina- 
3* 


30  MEMOIR  OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

tion  Prayer,  by  Rev.  M.  Coburn ;  Delivery  of  Scriptures 
and  Charge,  by  Rev.  K.  Haven ;  Fellowship,  by  Rev.  J. 
E.  Palmer  ;  Benediction,  by  Rev.  J.  Wallace.  The  first 
General  Convention  he  ever  attended  as  a  preacher  was 
holden  at  Wells,  Vt,  in  1826,  where  he  offered  the 
Introductory  Prayer  at  the  opening  service.  In  182T 
he  travelled  to  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  and  attended 
the  meeting  of  the  General  Convention  in  that  place,  and 
was  made  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Fellowship  and 
Ordination.  He  continued  during  this  time  to  preach 
in  Strafford  and  vicinity,  having  many  calls  for  his  ser 
vices  in  his  new  vocation.  He  had  begun  the  work  in 
earnest,  and  in  the  full  conviction  that  "  he  who  putteth 
his  hand  to  the  plough  and  looketh  back,  is  not  fit  for 
the  kingdom  of  God." 


CHAPTER  ni. 

FIRST  MINISTRY  IN  LEBANON. 

IN  March,  1828,  Mr.  Moore  moved  to  Lebanon,  N. 
H.,  in  compliance  with  an  earnest  invitation  from  the 
Universalist  society  in  that  place.  Lebanon  is  south  of 
Hanover,  on  the  Connecticut  river,  and  one  of  the  pleas- 
antest  towns  in  that  region.  The  principal  village  is 
situated  on  a  plain  at  the  head  of  the  falls  of  Mascomy 
river.  It  was  in  this  village  that  Mr.  Moore  took  up 
his  residence,  and  where  he  formed  some  of  the  strongest 
friendships  and  passed  some  of  the  happiest  years  of 
his  life.  Universalism  had  been  known  here  for  many 
years.  Several  of  the  old  preachers  had  visited  the  place 
from  time  to  time ;  and  in  1811  and  1819  the  General 
Convention  had  been  held  there.  Before  Mr.  Moore's 
connection  with  the  society,  Rev.  David  Pickering  and 
Rev.  Lemuel  Willis  had  been  its  ministers.  They  had 
made  good  proof  of  their  ministry,  and  were  highly  re 
spected  by  the  people  in  Lebanon.  But  no  man  was  ever 
more  beloved  in  the  town  than  their  successor,  Rev. 


32  MEMOIK  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

John  Moore.  And  no  home,  probably,  in  after  life, 
ever  seemed  dearer  to  him  than  Lebanon. 

His  influence  for  good,  as  a  true  minister  of  the  recon 
ciliation,  was  felt  not  only  in  the  place  where  he  had 
made  his  new  home,  but  in  many  other  places  in  that 
region  of  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont.  He  had  one 
of  the  most  promising  fields  for  religious  culture  ;  and 
well  was  he  adapted  to  it.  His  engagements  in  Lebanon 
were  for  half  of  the  time.  During  the  other  half  he 
preached  in  Claremont,  Newport,  Hanover,  Lyme,  Pier- 
mont,  N.  H.,  and  in  Strafford,  and  some  other  towns,  in 
Vermont.  He  was  pastor  and  missionary  ;  and  well 
qualified  in  many  respects  did  he  prove  himself  for  both 
these  kinds  of  ministerial  work.  He  was  everywhere  a 
representative  and  advocate  of  the  cause  he  had  espoused; 
one,  too,  in  whom  every  true  friend  of  it  could  have  confi 
dence  and  just  pride.  Dignified,  yet  gentle  and  easy  in 
manner,  plain  and  persuasive  in  his  public  speech,  at  home 
alike  with  all  classes  of  people,  and  in  readiness  to  give 
to  every  one  that  asked  of  him  a  reason  of  the  Christian 
hope  he  cherished,  he  could  not  fail  of  eliciting  attention 
and  commanding  respect  wherever  he  appeared.  Bigotry 
could  not  long  stand  in  his  presence ;  and  many  a  con 
scientious  believer  in  a  more  limited  faith,  although  re 
garding  his  doctrine  as  somewhat  heretical,  could  not 
fail  to  admire  the  man. 

This  mode  of  ministerial  life  did  much  to  prepare  him 
for  the  work  of  his  succeeding  years.  It  was  said  of  Dr. 
Baldwin,  of  the  Baptist  denomination,  and  for  so  long  a 


FIRST  MINISTRY   IN   LEBANON.  33 

time  minister  in  Boston,  that  he  attributed  much  of  the 
usefulness  of  his  ministry  in  after  life  to  the  discipline 
gained  in  his  earlier  missionary  days  in  very  nearly  the 
same  field  occupied  by  Mr.  Moore  during  his  Lebanon 
ministry.*  Looking  away  from  the  rich  intervales  that 
skirt  the  Connecticut  river,  the  mountain  ranges  appear, 
—  the  green  and  fertile  hills  of  Vermont  in  one  direction, 
and  the  more  rugged  ones  of  New  Hampshire  in  the 
other,  —  with  here  and  there  in  the  smiling  valleys  the 
bright-looking  villages,  with  their  church-spires  pointing 
heavenward,  and  between  them  on  all  sides  the  produc 
tive  farms  of  husbandmen  who  might  be  justly  num 
bered  among  the  freest  and  happiest  of  the  world's  millions. 
Such  was  the  great  missionary  field  into  which  our  herald 
of  the  everlasting  Gospel  was  called,  and  in  which  he 
made  his  calling  honored  and  blest  of  the  Lord.  Some 
times  he  would  go  into  new  places,  where  our  Gospel  had 
not  been  publicly  declared  before ;  where  the  prejudices 
of  the  multitude  were  strong  against  it ;  but  where  a  few 
listening  ears  and  receptive  hearts  could  be  found  in 
readiness  to  hear  the  word,  and  a  few  more  with  them 
who  would  listen  just  to  learn  what  the  preacher  of  the 
new  and  strange  doctrine  had  to  say.  Again  he  would 
come  where,  -now  and  then,  after  long  intervals,  a  day's 
preaching  of  our  faith  was  to  be  had  in  some  school-room, 
or  hall,  or,  perchance,  meeting-house,  if  by  some  legal 
right  our  people  could  claim  a  share  of  time  in  one.  On 
such  occasions  he  would  make  the  most  of  his  means  for 

*  Dr.  Baldwin  was  minister  in  Canaan,  N.  II. 


34  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOOEE. 

bringing  before  his  audience  the  leading  principles  of 
Christianity  as  he  perceived  them,  and  their  practical 
application  to  the  characters  and  lives  of  mankind.  In 
addition  to  the  edification  thus  imparted  to  believers,  he 
would  often  open  to  some  inquiring  mind  the  "new  and 
living  way."  Then,  again,  he  would  be  called  far_and 
near  to  be  present  on  funeral  occasions ;  and  these  would 
often  take  him  at  least  one  day  from  his  home ;  it  having 
been  in  the  past  so  customary  in  the  country  towns  of 
New  England  to  hold  funeral  services  in  the  early  part 
or  middle  of  the  day,  and  to  expect  a  sermon  from  the 
officiating  clergyman.  Many  were  the  calls  of  this  kind 
upon  the  minister  at  Lebanon.  And  on  such  occasions 
he  would  declare  the  beauty  and  excellency  of  the  faith 
he  cherished  to  minds  not  accustomed  to  such  messages, 
and  with  an  effect,  too,  Avhich  lived  and  did  its  work  long 
after  the  occasion  had  passed. 

The  private  journal  kept  by  Mr.  Moore  during  these 
first  years  of  his  ministry  we  have  been  unable  to  obtain, 
as  it  has  passed  out  of  sight  in  some  way  unknown  to 
the  family.  We  are  obliged,  therefore,  to  depend  on 
accounts  of  his  labors  derived  from  other  sources.  In  a 
letter  written  by  him  to  the  editor  of  the  Trumpet,  and 
published  in  that  paper  under  date  April  20,  1829,  we 
find  the  following  account  of  his  second  visit  to  the  valley 
of  Baker's  river,  about  twenty  miles  east  of  Lebanon  : 

"  Lebanon,  N.  H.,  April  2Qth,  1829.  —  Brother 
Whittemore  :  As  any  intelligence  relative  to  the  growth 
of  liberal  principles  in  the  community  is  gratefully  re- 


FIRST   MINISTRY   IN   LEBANON.  35 

ceived  by  all  liberal  Christians,  I  hasten  to  give  an 
account  of  the  rise  and  hitherto  rapid  growth  of  the 
heart-cheering  doctrine  of  God's  impartial  grace  in  Rum- 
ney,  N.  H.,  hoping  thereby  to  stimulate  others  :to  go 
and  do  likewise.' 

"  Your  numerous  readers  will  recollect  a  communica 
tion  some  weeks  since,  signed  K.  0.,  relating  to  the  same 
subject,  in  which  they  were  informed  that  in  April, 
1828,  Brother  Josiah  Gilman  gave  a  lecture  in  Rum- 
ney,  which  was  the  first  sermon  ever  preached  in  that 
town  in  which  the  salvation  of  all  men  was  declared. 
In  June  following,  I  spent  one  Sabbath  with  them,  and 
had  three  services,  which  were  all  the  public  preaching 
of  the  kind  they  had  enjoyed  until  the  fourth  Sabbath  in 
March  last,  when  I  visited  them  again ;  and,  to  my  great 
satisfaction,  I  found  that  the  seed  had  fallen  on  good 
ground,  the  leaven  had  continued  to  operate  until  a  re 
spectable  number  were  rejoicing  in  the  evidences  of  our 
faith,  in  hope  of  a  happy  immortality.  Our  brethren, 
while  I  was  with  them,  organized  a  society,  consisting 
of  about  forty  members.  It  was  truly  encouraging  to 
see  them  come  forward  and  unite  for  the  purpose  of  sup 
porting  and  extending  liberal  sentiments  —  the  aged,  the 
middle-aged,  and  the  young.  Two  years  since,  and  there 
were  but  two  or  three  who  presumed  to  advocate  the  cause 
of  universal  grace,  in  the  whele  town  ;  now  they  have  a 
very  respectable  society,  composed  of  enlightened  and 
industrious  citizens  of  all  ages.  There  is  one  circum 
stance  I  will  mention  which  will  show  that  our  sentiments 


36  MEMOIE  OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

need  only  be  known  to  be  received.  An  old  gentleman, 
by  the  name  of  Darling,*  who  for  a  great  number  of 
years  had  been  a  professor  of  religion,  and  who  had 
adorned  his  profession,  but  who  was  among  the  number 
of  those  Christians  who  think  God  is  not  so  good  as  they 
are,  whose  prayers  are  always  at  war  with  their  faith, 
and  whose  'joy  is  not  full,'  was  requested  to  read 
Ballou's  Notes  on  the  Parables.  He  had  never  read 
any  writings  nor  heard  any  preaching  of  TJniversalists ; 
but  he  consented  to  read  the  book ;  and  he  tells  me, 
before  he  had  read  but  a  few  pages,  he  discovered  the 
wonderful  difference  between  the  views  of  the  author 
and  those  entertained  by  Limitarians ;  which  induced 
him  to  reexamine  his  Bible,  comparing  what  he  read 
with  the  Scriptures,  until  he  was  brought  to  renounce 
his  former  faith,  and  embrace  one  which  is  in  accordance 
with  the  benevolent  desires  of  his  heart.  His  new  faith 
gave  "him  so  much  joy  that  he  began  to  declare  it  to  his 
neighbors,  and,  although  it  is  but  about  two  years  since 

*  Mr.  Daniel  Darling  was  a  well-known  citizen  of  Rumney.  He 
lived  at  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  was  one  of  the  most  scriptural 
defenders  of  the  great  salvation  we  have  ever  known.  He  was  formerly 
a  Freewill  Baptist,  and  embraced  Universalism  after  a  diligent  study 
of  the  Bible.  He  was  one  of  the  most  industrious  of  men  ;  yet  he 
could  always  find  time  to  converse  on  religious  topics.  No  matter 
what  talents  were  engaged  with  him  in  argument  against  our  faith  ; 
"the  Word  of  God,"  as  he  wielded  it,  was  "  quick  and  powerful  "  in 
every  strife.  His  spirit  and  life  were  daily  exponents  of  his  doctrine. 
We  need  thousands  of  such  missionaries  of  our  faith  in  New  England 
at  the  present  hour. 


FIRST  MINISTRY   IN  LEBANON.  37 

he  embraced  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  yet  by  his 
preaching  it  to  his  brethren  on  all  proper  occasions, 
many  have  been  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  it. 

"  When  I  was  there  in  March  last,  our  friends  re 
quested  the  use  of  the  meeting-house  which  is  occupied 
by  the  Baptists  ;  but  they  were  decidedly  opposed  to  the 
Universalists  using  the  house,  although  they  acknowledged 
they  had  a  right  in  it.  So  we  repaired  to  the  school- 
house,  where  we  held  our  meeting.  The  above-named 
circumstance  had  been  the  cause  of  a  town  meeting,  when 
it  was  voted  that  each  society  should  occupy  the  house 
according  to  the  number  of  freemen  belonging  to  each 
society  ;  which  will  probably  give  it  to  Universalists  one 
fourth  of  the  time.  I  am  informed  there  are  many  of 
our  faith  in  several  of  the  towns  in  that  section." 

This  was  the  beginning  of  a  new  order  of  things  in 
Rumney  and  vicinity.  Societies  afterwards  sprang  up 
in  the  neighboring  towns  of  Wentworth,  Dorchester, 
Warren,  and  Hebron.  In  June,  1833,  the  first  ordina 
tion  of  a  minister  of  TJniversalism  in  that  region  took 
place  in  Rumney.  It  was  that  of  the  writer  of  this 
memoir,  who  passed  the  first  few  years  of  his  ministry 
in  Rumney,  and  in  a  work,  too,  something  like  that 
which  he  is  now  describing  in  the  life  of  this  departed 
one. 

The  first  time  the  writer  ever  saw  Mr.  Moore  was  on 

the  occasion  of  his  preaching  in  Wentworth  in  the  winter 

of  1830.     It  was  before  I  had  entered  the  ministry,  or 

had  determined  when  I  should.     I  had  come  to  reside 

4 


38  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

for  a  time  in  that  section  of  Grafton  County,  N.  H., 
and,  as  a  recent  convert  to  Universalism,  had  my  regrets 
that  I  had  now  moved  so  far  away  from  such  privileges 
of  hearing  it  preached  as  I  had  enjoyed  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  state.  It  gave  me  pleasure,  therefore,  to  go 
to  Wentworth  on  the  Sabbath  morning  when  the  minister 
from  Lebanon  was  to  officiate  in  the  neat-looking  new 
church  at  the  end  of  the  village  common.  It  was  a  clear 
and  mild  day,  for  winter ;  the  sleighing  was  excellent, 
and  quite  a  large  audience  assembled  from  Wentworth 
and  the  adjoining  towns.  I  remember  the  scene  as  the 
minister  entered  the  door  of  the  church  in  company  with 
the  venerable  Caleb  Keith,*  who  took  from  beneath  his 
cloak  his  large  family  Bible  (the  one  belonging  to  the 
pulpit  having,  I  think,  been  taken  away),  and  handed  it 
to  Mr.  Moore,  to  be  used  by  him  during  the  services  of 
the  occasion.  I  still  retain  in  memory  the  solemn  dignity 
with  which  the  book  was  presented,  the  countenance  of 
the  worthy  father  seeming  to  say,  "Here  is  our  authority; 
let  it  speak  faithfully  through  you  to  us  all ;  "  and  the 
modest  acceptance  of  it  on  the  part  of  the  preacher,  whose 

*  Mr.  Keith  was  a  native  of  Bridgewater,  Mass.  ;  a  descendant  of 
Rev.  James  Keith,  the  first  settled  minister  of  that  ancient  town.  He 
was  a  soldier  in  the  revolutionary  army,  and  afterwards  lived  in 
Pelham  and  Enfield,  Mass.,  and  in  Barnard,  Vt.,  in  which  last  place 
he  formed  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  Rev.  Hosea  Ballou,  which 
continued  while  he  lived.  In  1804  he  removed  to  Wentworth,  where 
he  resided  until  his  death  in  1843,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight.  He  had 
been  much  in  public  life,  was  universally  esteemed,  and  was  most 
thoroughly  devoted  to  "  the  faith  of  the  Gospel." 


FIRST  MINISTRY  IN  LEBANON.  89 

manly  bearing  seemed  to  assure  us  that  we  should  have 
no  trifling  with  its  contents,  but  a  faithful  dispensation 
of  the  living  Word.  And  it  was  even  so.  The  message 
of  the  minister  was  in  the  directness  and  clearness  of 
truth  itself.  His  text  in  the  morning  was  Micah  7:8; 
and  in  the  afternoon,  Acts  11 :  10.  This  last  discourse, 
on  the  vision  of  the  sheet  let  down  from  heaven,  was  long 
remembered  by  the  hearers. 

Thus  passed  the  years  of  the  first  ministerial  settle 
ment  of  Mr.  Moore  in  that  ample  northern  field.  Many 
were  his  opportunities  there  to  sow  the  good  seed  of  the 
kingdom ;  and  cheerfully  did  he  give  his  strength  of 
body  and  spirit  to  this  calling.  In  his  own  home-parish, 
in  the  old  church  upon  the  green,  and  at  other  altars 
away;  in  the  pulpit,  in  the  social  circle,  at  the  bed 
side  of  the  sick,  or  when  in  the  presence  of  the  dead  he 
administered  the  consolations  of  divine  truth  to  the  living, 
—  he  was  the  ready  and  devoted  servant  of  that  Master 
who  had  called  him  to  minister  of  his  unsearchable  riches 
to  a  needy  and  dying  world.  A  toil,  indeed,  was  this ;  and 
there  were  trials  in  the  toiling  such  as  he  who  would  be 
a  true  minister  of  the  everlasting  Gospel  only  can  know. 
But  there  were  many  welcoming  blessings  for  him.  If 
sometimes  in  rugged  pastures,  yet  often  in  green  fields 
and  by  bright  waters,  was  his  pathway;  and  "  beautiful 
upon  the  mountains  were  the  feet  of  him  who  published 
peace,  brought  good  tidings  of  good,  proclaimed  salvation, 
and  said  unto  Zion,  Thy  God  reigneth  !  " 

In  September,  1830,  the  Universalist  General  Conven- 


40  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOOKE. 

tion  was  held  at  Lebanon.  The  meeting  was  one  of  great 
interest  to  all  present.  Kev.  Hosea  Ballou  was  chosen 
Moderator,  Rev.  Thomas  F.  King  Clerk,  and  Rev. 
Thomas  "VVhittemore  Assistant  Clerk  of  the  convention. 
Five  discourses  were  preached  during  the  meetings,  to 
crowded  congregations.  So  great  was  the  number  present 
on  Thursday,  the  last  day  of  the  convention,  that  fears 
were  entertained  as  to  the  strength  of  the  house ;  and  one 
of  the  galleries  was  almost  cleared  during  the  last  service, 
as  it  was  thought  to  be  settling.  The  writer  of  the  cir 
cular  of  the  convention,  Rev.  T.  Whittemore,  says : 
"The  brethren  in  Lebanon  richly  deserve  our  thanks 
for  the  unnumbered  kindnesses  they  bestowed,  and  for 
the  readiness  with  which  they  anticipated  and  supplied 
all  our  wants."  Among  these,  none  took  a  deeper  in 
terest  in  the  convention  than  the  pastor  of  the  Lebanon 
society.  It  was  an  occasion  full  of  highest  satisfaction  to 
him. 

In  his  epistolary  correspondence,  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end  of  his  ministry,  the  excellence  of  his  religious 
views  was  seldom  left  out  of  sight.  His  faith  was  one  of 
the  new  and  good  things  about  which  he  was  always  in 
readiness  to  speak  or  to  write.  In  a  letter  of  date  De- 
»cember  16th,  1831,  to  a  newly-marrie'd  pair,  he  says : 
"  My  dear  friends,  how  grateful  ought  we  to  be  that  the 
views  we ,  entertain  of  God,  of  religion,  of  futurity,  are 
such  that  we  can  have  unlimited  confidence  in  the  power, 
wisdom,  and  goodness,  of  Him  who  made  and  governs  all 
things.  May  we  never  leave  this  fountain  of  living 


FIRST  MINISTRY   IN   LEBANON.  41 

waters,  for  the  turbid  streams  that  flow  from  the  system 
of  endless  wrath, —  a  system  which  leads  so  many  to  dis 
trust  the  kindness  of  God,  and  causes  them  to  drag  out  a 
kind  of  half  existence  between  hope  and  fear !  May 
heaven  preserve  us  from  such  calamity  !  " 

The  nearness  of  Lebanon  to  Hanover  in  process  of  time 
brought  Mr.  Moore  to  the  last-named  place.  It  was  a 
town  where  one  of  the  most  popular  colleges  of  New  Eng 
land  had  long  been  established,  and  where  the  predomi 
nating  religious  sentiments  were  mainly  accordant  with 
the  puritanism  of  New  England.  But  little  of  Univer- 
salism,  or  liberal  Christianity  in  any  form,  had  been  known 
there.  An  occasional  discourse  from  some  one  of  the 
Abrahamic  faith  might  have  been  delivered  there ;  but 
the  ears  of  the  people  were  accustomed  to  hear  but  very 
little  of  the  Gospel  of  Reconciliation,  which  embraces  the 
world  in  its  heavenly  promises.  There  were  a  few 
worthy  friends  of  this  doctrine  in  Hanover,  who  engaged 
the  services  of  Mr.  Moore,  at  first  in  occasional  lectures 
there,  and  afterwards  during  the  whole  Sabbath,  as  the 
preacher  could  find  opportunity.  In  a  letter  to  a  friend, 
of  date  June  1,  1831,  he  writes :  "  I  expect  to  preach 
in  East  Hanover  next  Sunday,  perhaps  to  the  great  grief 
of  some  who  sincerely  believe  themselves  to  be  God's 
people,  but  who,  it  may  be  possible,  as  I  think,  have  fol 
lowed  the  example  of  their  brethren,  as  related  by  the 
prophet  Jeremiah, — 'My  people  have  committed  two 
errors :  they  have  forsaken  me,  the  fountain  of  living 
waters,  and  have  hewn  out  to  themselves  broken  cisterns 
4* 


42  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

that  can  hold  no  water.'  If  any  such  should  favor  me 
with  their  presence,  may  I  be  enabled  to  lead  them  in 
green  pastures,  where  flow  the  pure  waters  of  salvation ! 
Should  I  have  the  privilege  of  preaching  the  words  of  life 
and  peace  to  those  who  have  been  accustomed  to  drink 
waters  at  less  refreshing  wells  and  pools,  if  I  should 
present  to  them  the  cup  of  divine  truth  and  salvation, 
would  they  dash  it  from  them,  exclaiming,  '  Though  such 
draughts  may  make  us  happy  now,  it  were  better  not  to 
indulge  in  them ;  they  will  do  to  live  by,  but  not  to  die 
by '  ?  0  human  folly  !  When  will  mankind  learn  the 
nature  of  God,  and  his  requirements?  "  The  ministry  of 
Mr.  Moore  was  acceptable  to  many  minds  in  Hanover. 
His  testimony  was  a  needed  one  there ;  and  it  was  heard 
by  those  who  were  in  readiness  for  it  amid  the  many 
counter  testimonies  around  them.  Some  of  the  members 
of  the  college  were,  during  the  first  and  second  residences 
of  Mr.  Moore  in  Lebanon,  very  constant  attendants  upon 
his  ministry. 

Some  time  in  November,  1831,  Rev.  Mr.  Sprague,  of 
the  Methodist  connection,  either  invited  or  challenged  any 
minister  of  the  Universalist  denomination,  who  might  be 
so  inclined,  to  preach  with  him  at  Topsham,  Vt.,  on  the 
fourth  Sabbath  in  that  month.  Rev.  Warren  Skinner, 
of  Cavendish,  very  readily  accepted  the  invitation.  Mr. 
Sprague  proposed  preaching  a  sermon  in  the  morning 
against  the  doctrine  of  universal  restoration,  which  might 
be  succeeded  by  a  discourse  from  Mr.  Skinner  in  the 
afternoon,  which  would  terminate  the  meeting. 


FIRST   MINISTRY   IN   LEBANON.  43 

When  the  time  came,  Mr.  Skinner,  in  consequence  of 
severe  illness,  was  unable  to  meet  the  appointment,  and 
requested  Mr.  Moore  to  take  his  place ;  with  which  request 
the  latter  was  very  willing  and  happy  to  comply.  He 
accordingly  stood  in  the  place  of  his  brother,  and  after 
wards  made  the  following  report  of  the  meeting  in  the 
Watchman,  published  at  Woodstock,  Vt. : 

"  Notwithstanding  the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  every 
part  of  the  meeting-house  was  filled  to  overflowing.  Per 
sons  attended  from  all  of  the  adjoining  towns, — some  from 
Chelsea,  Barre,  and  Piermont.  Perfect  order  was  pre 
served  throughout  the  meeting. 

"Mr.  Sprague  took  the  following  for  a  text:  1st  Tim. 
4 :  1,  2, — '  Now  the  spirit  speaketh  expressly  that  in  the 
latter  times  some  shall  depart  from  the  faith,  giving  heed 
to  seducing  spirits,  and  doctrines  of  devils ;  speaking  lies 
in  hypocrisy ;  having  their  conscience  seared  with  a  hot 
iron.' 

"Mr.  S.  said  he  should  treat  the  subject  in  the  follow 
ing  order:  first,  notice  the  faith  mentioned  in  the  text; 
and,  second,  show  that  a  departure  from  the  faith  js 
Universalism,  the  doctrine  of  devils.  Mr.  S.  asserted 
that  endless  misery  in  a  future  state,  a  general  judgment 
subsequent  to  the  resurrection,  and '  the  existence  of  a 
devil  distinct  from  man,  were  prominent  points  in  the 
faith  of  the  first  Christians.  He  then  proceeded  to  argue 
the  truth  of  his  first  proposition,  from  moral  obligation ; 
'  That  God  had  imposed  on  man  a  law,  the  penalty  of 
which  was  an  endless  curse  ; '  that  mankind  were  under 


44  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

obligation  to  obey  this  law,  for  'all  belong  to  God;'  that,  as 
this  law  had  been  violated,  of  course  the  sinner  was  liable 
to  experience  its  penalty,  which,  he  said,  was  an  endless 
curse ;  that  salvation  from  this  punishment  in  a  future 
state  is  proffered  on  certain  conditions  to  be  performed 
in  this ;  that  these  conditions  were  faith  and  repentance ; 
that  all  who  were  not  thus  prepared  for  heaven  must  be 
endlessly  miserable ;  and  as  some  died  in  sin,  of  course 
they  could  not  be  saved,  because  there  is  no  knowledge 
in  the  grave,  and  no  one  ever  repented  in  hell.  Mr.  S. 
once  knew  a  man  die  in  a  fit  of  drunkenness, —  who,  as 
he  said,  '  entered  another  world  a  drunkard.' 

"  To  sustain  his  second  proposition,  Mr.  S.  quoted  Acts 
17:  31 ;  John  5  :  28,  29 ;  2d  Tim.  4  :  4 ;  1st  Peter  4:5; 
Heb.  9:  27;  Matt.  25:  46;  2d  Peter  3 :  10.  In  re 
marking  on  these  passages,  he  took  the  ground  common 
to  all  limitarians,  and  labored  to  make  the  hearer  believe 
that  all  the  events  mentioned  in  the  aforesaid  texts  were 
yet  future  ;  and  was  careful  to  add  the  term  all,  in  Heb. 
9 :  27,  to  make  it  suit  his  purpose.  Mr.  S.  then  noticed 
the  criticisms  of  Universalists  on  the  above  texts,  which 
he  said  were  '  false,  and  God  knows  it.'  These  texts 
Mr.  S.  said  he  '  could  not  look  in  the  face,  when  he  was 
a  Uhiversalist.'  To  show  the  nature  of  the  curse  an 
nexed  to  the  law  of  God,  Mr.  S.  presented  before  his 
hearers  '  the  damned  ghost '  of  the  rich  man,  mentioned 
in  the  parable,  Luke  16. 

"  In  support  of  his  third  proposition,  namely,  the 
existence  of  a  devil  distinct  from  man,  Mr.  S.  quoted  1st 


FIRST   MINISTRY  IN  LEBANON.  45 

Peter  5:8.  He  was  opposed  to  the  doctrine  of  Univer- 
salism,  -which  says  every  one  shall  be  punished  for  all 
his  sins,  because  on  this  ground  he  could  not  see  how 
any  could  be  saved.  He  seemed  to  think  there  could  be 
no  salvation  but  a  salvation  from  just  punishment,  or 
the  pains  of  a  hell  in  a  future  world. 

"Mr.  S.  then  attempted  to  show  that  Universalism 
is  a  departure  from  the  Christian  faith,  and  is  the  doctrine 
of  devils.  To  prove  this,  he  in  the  first  place  said,  '  I  am 
bold  to  say  it ; '  next,  that  the  devil  preached  Universal- 
ism  in  the  garden  of  Eden ;  and,  in  the  third  place,  that 
Universalists  deny  the  existence  of  a  devil ! 

"Mr.  S.  next  mentioned  some  of  the  arguments  which 
he  said  were  used  by  Universalists  to  support  their  doc 
trine,  drawn  from  the  character  of  God ;  that,  as  God  is 
infinite  in  goodness,  wisdom,  and  power,  of  course  he 
would  not  punish  endlessly.  But  he  thought  this  argu 
ment  a  very  weak  one  indeed  ;  for,  notwithstanding  God 
is  good,  and  wise,  and  powerful,  he  suffers  sin,  and  pun 
ishes  sinners,  which  4ed  Mr.  S.  to  conclude  sin  and  misery 
would  forever  exist.  Another  argument  which  he  noticed 
was,  that  as  God  .knew  from  the  beginning  how  man 
would  conduct,  and  what  would  be  the  result  of  his  con 
duct,  his  goodness  would  have  prevented  the  creation  of 
any  who- would  so  conduct  as  to  be  obnoxious  to  endless 
misery.  Mr.  S.  then  went  on  to  make  the  following 
false  and  unjust  statements,  and  to  deal  out  the  most 
abuse  that  I  ever  heard  from  one  man  in  so  short  a  time. 
He  said  TJniversalista  did  not  draw  their  arguments  from 


46  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

the  Bible ;  that  they  denied  its  being  the  word  of  God ; 
that  they  set  up  reason  as  a  God ;  that  they  think,  because 
their  feelings  are  opposed  to  punishment,  therefore  there 
•will  be  none ;  that  Universalism  is  a  mask  of  infidelity  ; 
that  where  the  doctrine  is  preached  most,  there  is  the 
most  sin ;  that  it  says  if  men  do  not  repent  they  will  not 
be  punished ;  that  it  is  but  a  step  from  infidelity,  because 
Universalists  use  the  same  arguments  that  are  used  by 
the  infidel ;  that  Universalists  do  not  believe  that  God 
was  manifest  in  the  flesh ;  that  they  deny  the  atonement ; 
that  they  deny  experimental  religion ;  that  they  deny  the 
spirit  of  God ;  do  not  preach  as  did  Christ  and  the  apos 
tles  ;  and,  finally,  that  the  preaching  of  Universalism  does 
not  make  men  tremble.  Mr.  S.  said,  as  he  was  acquainted 
in  several  states,  he  knew  the  character  of  Universalists. 
He  represented  them  to  be  the  most  abandoned  class  of 
men  in  the  community ;  that  modern  Universalists  de 
nied  moral  obligation ;  and  after  thus  ranting  (for  I  can 
not  call  it  preaching)  for  two  hours  and  a  quarter,  he 
closed  his  performance  by  saying  h«  now  felt  much  re 
lieved  ;  that  his  garments  were  clear  from  the  blood  of 
Universalists;  and  in  a  very  solemn  manner  told  the 
audience  that  he  expected  to  meet  them  at  the  judgment, 
in  a  future  state,  when  he  should  have  to  account  to 
them  how  he  had  preached  to  them,  and  they  how  they 
had  heard. 

' '  In  the  afternoon  I  spoke  in  answer  to  the  foregoing, 
using  as  a  motto,  '  I  also  will  show  mine  opinion,'  Job 
32 :  17.  I  commenced  by  saying,  that  the  doctrine  we 


FIRST  MINISTRY  IN  LEBANON.  47 

embraced  forbids  retaliation ;  that  the  spirit  of  the  senti 
ments  which  we  cherished  enjoined  it  upon  us  not  to 
render  railing  for  railing,  but  to  render  good  for  evil ;  to 
do  unto  others  as  we  would  that  they  should  do  unto  us ; 
that  '  the  servant  of  the  Lord  must  not  strive,  but  be 
gentle  toward  all  men,  apt  to  teach ; '  and  attempted  to 
show  that  the  faith  of  the  first  Christians  did  not  embrace 
the  horrid  doctrine  of  endless  woe ;  that  this  is  proved 
both  from  the  silence  of  the  Scripture  writers  on  the  sub 
ject  of  punishment  after  death,  and  the  many  positive 
declarations  relative  to  the  ultimate  happiness  of  all  men. 
I  also  attempted  to  show  that  the  doctrine  of  a  general 
judgment  subsequent  to  the  resurrection  is  not  a  doctrine 
of  the  Bible,  inasmuch  as  all  the  Scripture  writers,  when 
speaking  of  a  resurrection  from  mortal  to  immortality, 
are  entirely  silent  as  to  a  judgment  after  that  change, 
but  in  a  positive  manner  declare  '  then  cometh  the  end ; ' 
and  as  all  judgment  is  committed  unto  the  Son,  and  as 
he  is  represented  as  delivering  up  the  kingdom  to  the 
Father,  when  the  last  enemy  (death)  is  destroyed,  { that 
God  may  be  all  in  all]  it  is  '  our  opinion '  that  the  doc 
trine  of  a  future  judgment  is  unscriptural ;  and  after 
showing  that  the  passage  quoted  by  Mr.  S.  to  prove  the 
personality  of  a  devil  distinct  from  man  referred  to  the 
opposers  for  the  first  Christians,  proceeded  to  show  what 
Universalism  teaches  relative  to  the  certainty  of  punish 
ment,  its  duration,  its  design,  &c. ;  also  to  answer  the 
objections  raised  by  Mr.  S.  against  the  doctrine  of 
universal  holiness  and  happiness;  and  to  correct  the 


48  MEMOIR   OF' JOHN  MOORE. 

many  false  statements  which  Mr.  S.  made  relative  to  the 
views  and  conduct  of  the  denomination  to  which  we 
belong." 

In  this  interview  Mr.  Moore  acquitted  himself  manfully. 
His  opponent  was  not  in  the  best  of  temper ;  while  he 
was,  beside  being  specially  gratified  for  such  an  oppor 
tunity  as  was  that  day  offered  him  to  meet  the  reasonings 
brought  against  his  faith,  by  that  "  sword  of  the  spirit 
which  is  the  word  of  God,"  and  which  he  wielded  with 
good  strength  and  skill.  From  a  correspondence  which 
afterwards  appeared  in  the  Watchman  between  the  two 
ministers,  it  would  seem  that  Mr.  Sprague  was  unwilling 
his  sermon  should  be  given  in  printed  form  to  the  public, 
while  Mr.  Moore  wished  that  both  the  discourses  might 
be.  His  concluding  letter  to  Mr.  S.  is  one  wherein  the 
writer  uses  ''great  plainness  of  speech," — speech,  how 
ever,  tempered  with  charity  and  moderation,  and  which 
would  be  likely  to  make  impressions  favorable  to  Mr. 
Moore  and  his  cause  upon  the  minds  of  all  candid  readers. 

It  was  during  this  residence  in  Lebanon  that  Mr. 
Moore  and  his  companion  were  called  to  part  with  one 
of  the  two  children  which  had  been  given  them.  He 
had  ministered  to  other  bereaved  parents  who  sorrowed 
that  their  children  were  not,  and  had  commended  them 
to  that  love  which  gave  its  benedictions  to  the  little  ones, 
and  spoke  of  them  as  heirs  of  the  heavenly  kingdom. 
He  had  now  to  look  to  that  same  source  for  consolation 
and  strength,  as  this  sacred  family  tie  is  broken.  He 
must  lay  his  loved  one  with  the  dead.  He  did  so,  in  the 


FIRST   MINISTRY  IN  LEBANON.  49 

light  of  that  hope  which  sees  the  victor  of  the  earthly 
vanquished  by  Him  who  said,  "I  am  the  resurrection 
and  the  life."  He  did  so,  trusting  in  the  perfect  will  of 
Heaven,  though  then  unconscious  that,  in  obedience  to 
this'  will,  he  would  come,  the  first  one  of  that  little 
family-band,  to  be  laid  by  the  side  of  the  early  departed. 

In  January,  1833,  Mr.  Moore  visited  Danvers,  Mass., 
by  invitation  of  the  committee  of  the  Second  Universalist 
Society  in  that  place.  His  pulpit  services  there,  and  his 
visit  otherwise,  proving  highly  acceptable,  he  was  solicited 
to  become  the  minister  of  the  society,  and  he  consented 
to  do  so.  How  long  the  intention  of  a  removal  had  been 
in  his  mind  we  have  not  the  means  of  knowing ;  but  this 
new  decision  was  made  with  the  utmost  conscientiousness 
on  the  part  of  Mr.  Moore.  He  had  worked  diligently  while 
in  Lebanon,  and  had  consumed  much  time  in  travelling 
from  place  to  place  during  the  half  of  each  year  which 
he  devoted  to  his  missionary  labors.  The  supposition 
that  he  might  increase  rather  than  diminish  his  useful 
ness  ;  that  he  would  in  Danvers  have  constant  employ 
ment,  with  the  advantage  of  more  time  for  his  studies  at 
home,  as  his  calls  abroad  would  be  less ;  and,  also,  the 
consideration  of  a  somewhat  larger  salary,  which  he  felt 
that  he  then  needed,  had  doubtless  the  effect  to  induce 
him  to  remove  from  a  place  which  had  become  to  him  a 
second  and  most  endeared  home. 

This  decision  in  favor  of  Danvers,  however,  was  very 
unsatisfactory  to  his  friends  in  Lebanon.  They  were 
hardly  prepared  for  such  an  event.  In  a  letter  to  a 
5 


50  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOOEE. 

friend  in  Danvers,  after  his  return  from  the  visit  to  that 
place,  he  writes:  "I  had  a  comfortable  time  getting 
home,  and  found  my  family  in  good  health ;  but  you  can 
have  no  conception  of  the  fiery  trial  I  have  had  to  pass 
through  on  account  of  what  I  did,  or  agreed  to  do,  when 
I  was  at  your  place.  My  friends  say  they  did  not  think 
that  I  should  engage  till  after  I  had  returned ;  they  are 
really  disappointed,  and  say  I  am  not  only  going  away 
from  home,  but  running  away  from  the  '  vineyard '  where 
I  ought  to  labor.  If  I  had  not  positively  engaged  before 
I  had  returned,  they  would  have  kept  me  here.  I  have 
sometimes  been  fearful  that  I  have  acted  too  hastily,  but 
shall  endeavor  to  fulfil  the  engagement  on  my  part,  and 
have  no  doubt  it  will  be  promptly  attended  to  on  yours. 
Had  my  friends  here  believed  you  would  have  relin 
quished  me,  they  would  have  sent  an  agent  down  imme 
diately  ;  but  they  have  now  given  it  up.  I  have  one 
painful  duty  to  perform, —  that  of  preaching  the  last  dis 
course." 

In  accordance  with  the  decision  here  expressed,  the 
new  step  was  taken  by  our  minister.  He  had  consulted 
duty,  and  although  with  regrets  which  no  words  could 
express,  he  parted  with  his  beloved  people  in  peace  for 
his  new  field  of  Christian  exertion.  His  ministry  in 
Lebanon  had  been  blest ;  and  never  was  there  one  of  his 
elsewhere  in  after  life,  where  stronger  attachments  were 
realized  between  pastor  and  people.  As  an  illustration 
of  his  influence  while  in  Lebanon,  we  refer  to  a  testimony 
concerning  him  during  his  ministry  there.  It  is  from  a 


FIRST  MINISTRY  IN  LEBANON.  51 

discourse  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Fay,  in  Nashua,  on  the  Sun 
day  after  the  death  and  burial  of  Mr.  Moore  : 

"  He  was  my  pastor  —  honored  and  beloved.  A  fre 
quent  visitor  in  my  father's  family,  his  presence  was 
always  welcome.  Shall  I  ever  forget  those  pastoral  visits, 
or  the  Sabbaths  which  I  spent  under  his  ministrations  ? 
I  have  since  wandered  far  from  that  village  church.  I 
have  sat  in  soft,  rich  pews,  beneath  the  high  domes  of 
costly  sanctuaries.  I  have  listened  to  the  most  celebrated 
sacred  orators  of  our  land.  I  have  heard  the  solemn 
music  roll  from  the  pipes  of  the  most  noble  organs,  and 
resound  through  the  carved  arches  of  the  magnificent  ca 
thedral  ;  but  no  impressions  were  ever  made  upon  my 
soul  more  lasting  or  inspiring  than  those  which  I  received 
in  that  plain  village  church,  when  my  beloved  friend  and 
pastor  led  in  prayer,  or  spoke  —  his  face  beaming  with 
benignity  —  of  the  goodness  of  God,  and  of  the  unsearch 
able  riches  of  Christ.  Even  now  I  seem  to  be  there  — 

'  A  placid  stillness  reigns, 
Until  the  man  of  God,  worthy  the  name, 
Opens  the  book,  and  reverently 
The  stated  portion  reads.'      * 

"The  fervent  prayer  is  offered.  The  hymn  is  read,  and 
the  choir  rises  and  sings. 

'  They  chant  their  artless  notes  in  simple  guise  ; 

They  tune  their  hearts,  by  far  the  noblest  aim. 
Perhaps  Dundee's  wild  warbling  measures  rise, 


52  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

Or  plaintive  Martyrs  worthy  of  the  name, 
Or  noble  Elgin  beats  the  heavenward  flame, 
.  The  sweetest  far  of  Scotia's  holy  lays.' 

"And  now ^he  text  is  reverently  read,  and  I  listen  to 
the  sermon.  Its  theme  is  the  glorious  Gospel  of  the 
blessed  God.  The  preacher  seems  inspired, —  not  with 
an  unnatural  rapture,  nor  with  what  the  world  calls 
eloquence,  but  with  his  theme ;  and  truth  divine  seems 

to 

'  Come  mended  from  his  tongue.' 

"  The  solemn  benediction  is  pronounced.  The  service 
ends, —  but  its  impression  remains  to  be  vividly  recalled 
here.,  where  he  last  stood  to  proclaim  the  truth  he  loved, 
after  the  lapse  of  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  while  the 
winds  of  midwinter  moan  their  first  wild  requiem  around 
his  grave.* 

"  During  his  residence  in  Lebanon,  he  won  the  esteem 
and  respect  of  all.  The  robes  of  his  ministerial  office 
received  no  stain,  and  many  tears  fell  upon  the  floor  of 
the  sanctuary  when  he  pronounced  his  valedictory 
sermon." 

*  This  was  said  in  the  pulpit  where  Mr.  Moore  preached  his  last 
sermon. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

•% 

MINISTRY  IN  DANVERS. 

MR.  MOORE  commenced  his  residence  in  Danvers  on 
the  22d  of  February,  1833.  This  town  is  one  of  the 
oldest  in  New  England,  and  was  formerly  a  portion  of 
Salem.  One  of  its  late  historians  says:  "Danvers  is 
both  city  and  country.  The  South  Parish  extends  into 
Salem,  and  is  essentially  one  with  Salem ;  while  further 
north  the  scenery  presents  so  rural  an  aspect,  that  the 
stranger  can  scarcely  fancy  himself  so  near  the  cities  and 
the  seas.  Beholding  the  air  of  comfort  and  independence, 
and  witnessing  the  enterprise  and  business  zeal  for  which 
the  town  has  become  a  proverb,  and  feeling  the  bosom 
expand  with  the  generous  liberal  spirit  which  surrounds 
the  community  like  an  atmosphere,  the  beholder  of  to 
day  can  scarcely  realize  that  he  stands  where  witches 
were  tried  and  executed,  and  bigotry,  an  ugly  fiend,  once 
poisoned  the  air  with  his  breath.  Formerly  distinguished 
for  intolerance,  austerity,  and  gloom,  the  town  is  now 
5* 


54  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

equally  known  for  its  enterprise,  and  the  spirit  of  liber 
ality  which  it  breathes."  * 

That  part  called  the  South  Parish,  where  Mr.  Moore 
was  settled,  has  since  been  incorporated  into  a  town 
named  Danvers.  Other  portions  of  the  old  town  are 
North  Danvers  and  Danversport.  The  meeting-house 
of  the  First  Universalist  Society  is  in  the  last-named 
place.  The  society  was  organized  in  1815.  The  house 
which  it  now  occupies  was  dedicated  in  June,  1833.  The 
Second  Society,  in  the  South  Parish,  of  which  Mr.  Moore 
was  called  to  be  pastor,  was  formed  in  March,  1832. 
During  this  year  a  good  and  commodious  house  of  worship 
was  erected,  at  a  cost  of  four  thousand  dollars.  This 
house  was  dedicated  January  10th,  1833.  Mr.  Moore 
preached  the  dedication  sermon.  His  text  was  Psalms  36  : 
7,  8.  "How  excellent  is  thy  loving-kindness,  0  God! 
therefore  do  the  children  of  men  put  their  trust  under  the 
shadow  of  thy  wings.  They  shall  be  abundantly  satisfied 
with  the  fatness  of  thy  house,  and  thou  shalt  make  them 
to  drink  of  the  river  of  thy  pleasures."  After  the  open 
ing  of  his  discourse  by  a  reference  to  the  occasion,  and  a 
clear  statement  of  the  religious  wants  of  our  nature,  he 
proceeded  to  speak  of  the  Christian  revelation  as  adapted 
to  the  moral  condition  of  man, —  a  manifestation  of 
heaven's  love  through  Christ,  the  enlightener  of  the 
world. 

Speaking  of  the  similitude  used  by  the  Psalmist,  "the 

*  History  of  Danvers,  by  Rev.  J.  W.  Hanson. 


MINISTRY   IN   DANVERS.'  55 

shadow  of  the  Almighty's  wings,"  he  says :  "  This 
figure  is  most  admirably  calculated  to  express  that  perfect 
safety  which  all  those  enjoy  who  put  their  trust  in  God. 
There  they  feel  safe  amidst  all  the  storms  of  adversity, 
affliction,  and  sorrow ;  there,  in  the  refreshing  shadow  of 
the  Almighty's  wing,  do  they  rest,  enjoying  the  smiles 
of  his  love,  and  feasting  on  the  riches  of  his  grace.  And 
we  have  the  assurance  of  both  scripture  and  experience, 
that  they  who  know  the  name  of  the  Lord  will  put  their 
trust  in  him.  Hence  the  importance  of  having  a  true 
knowledge  of  the  character  of  nature's  God  imparted  to 
the  children  of  men,  that  they  may  be  saved*  from  that 
mental  bondage  under  which  thousands  are  groaning 
through  fear  of  God's  wrath,  which  fear  is  the  offspring 
of  ignorance,  and  which  ignorance  is  perpetuated  by  the 
unmerciful  dogma  of  endless  woe. 

"  It  is  not  the  exhibition  of  almighty  power,  nor  of  in 
finite  wisdom,  which  we  see  displayed  in  all  parts  of  the 
universe  of  God,  which  leads  mankind  to  trust  in  him 
whose  kingdom  ruleth  over  all,  but  a  manifestation  of  the 
excellency  of  his  goodness  ;  it  is  his  parental  kindness  as 
proclaimed  in  the  Gospel  system,  and  proved  true  both  by 
nature  and  experience,  which  causes  the  Christian  to  con 
fide  in  his  love,  and  hope  in  his  mercy.  It  is  because  he 
sees  that  all  the  attributes  of  God  harmonize  with  and 
centre  in  love,  that  he  is  constrained  to  exclaim,  '  Whom 
have  I  in  heaven  but  thee,  and  there  is  none  on  earth  I 
desire  beside  thee  ! '  It  is  because  he  believes  God  c  is 
the  Saviour  of  all  men,  especially  of  them  that  believe ; ' 


56  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

and  that  he  c  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved  and  come  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth ; '  that  i  all  who  die  in  Adam 
shall  be  made  alive  in  Christ,' — because  he  is  permitted  to 
receive  this  glorious  doctrine  of  salvation,  so  expressive 
of  divine  and  unchanging  goodness,  that  he  puts  his  trust 
in  the  Most  High !  " 

His  remarks  on  the  satisfaction  given  to  the  soul  by  a 
true  Christian  faith  are  worthy  the  consideration  of 
every  mortal. 

"  In  no  instance  when  the  sacred  penmen  have  referred 
to  the  provision  almighty  God  has  made  to  satisfy  the 
moral  wants  of  mankind,  do  they  represent  it  as  scanty. 
But  they  invariably  use  such  figures  as  are  calculated  to 
convey  an  idea  of  fulness,  and  of  impartiality.  When 
Isaiah  gave  a  description  of  a  Gospel  feast,  it  was  in  the 
following  glowing  language :  '  And  in  this  mountain 
shall  the  Lord  of  hosts  make  unto  all  people  a  feast  of 
fat  things,  a  feast  of  wines  on  the  lees,  of  fat  things  full 
of  marrow,  of  wines  on  the  lees  well  refined ;  and  he  will 
destroy  in  this  mountain  the  face  of  the  covering  cast 
over  all  people,  and  the  vail  that  is  spread  over  all  na 
tions  :  he  will  swallow  up  death  in  victory ;  and  the  Lord 
God  will  wipe  tears  from  off  all  faces,  and  the  rebuke  of 
his  people  shall  be  taken  away  from  off  all  the  earth,  for 
the  Lord  hath  spoken  it.' — Isa.  25  :  6 — 8. 

"  If  it  is  possible  to  express  an  idea  of  fulness,  of  impar 
tiality,  then  most  certainly  is  it  expressed  in  this  scrip 
ture,  which  is  in  perfect  unison  with  the  text  and  the 
whole  tenor  of  the  Bible,  as  also  with  the  character  of 


MINISTRY   IN   DANVERS.  57 

God  as  seen  in  that  abundant  provision  provided  for  the 
satisfaction  of  all  the  beings  he  has  made.  That  intel 
lectual  feast  to  which  we  are  all  invited  by  all  we  see  of 
God  in  nature,  by  all  we  read  of  him  in  the  oracles  of 
truth,  is  vastly  superior  to  every  other  enjoyment ;  for 
whereas  other  pleasures  may  gratify  us  for  a  time,  and 
then  become  insipid,  so  as  to  lose  in  a  great  degree  their 
relish,  the  pleasures  derived  from  feasting  by  contem 
plation  on  the  beauty,  usefulness,  and  sublimity,  of  the 
Creator's  works,  and  that  abundant  satisfaction  which  is 
enjoyed  by  faith  in  his  promises,  are  as  lasting  as  the 
mind.  These  pleasures  are  always  new ;  they  never  lose 
their  power  to  charm,  to  instruct,  to  invigorate  the  mind, 
to  refine  the  feelings,  to  warm  and  elevate  the  affections, 
and  satisfy  the  soul. 

"  And  when  we  turn  our  attention  more  particularly  to 
the  consideration  of  the  will  and  purpose  of  almighty 
God  concerning  the  final  condition  of  all  intelligences, 
and  learn  from  the  declarations  of  Christ  and  the  apostles 
that  our  heavenly  Father  has  destined  all  his  children  to 
life  immortal  in  the  high  and  holy  state  beyond  the  con 
fines  of  the  grave  ;  when  we  receive  as  truth  the  blessed 
doctrine  of  the  immortal  glorification  of  all  mankind  in 
heaven,  and  thus  enjoy  an  earnest  of  that  eternal  life 
which  is  given  in  Christ,  and  brought  to  light  by  his 
resurrection ;  we  realize,  as  far  as  it  is  possible  in  this  im 
perfect  state,  the  truth  of  the  text :  '  They  shall  be 
abundantly  satisfied  with  the  fatness  of  thy  house,' — or 
with  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  This  is  drinking  of  the 


58  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

river  of  God's  pleasures. —  even  of  that  'river  the 
streams  whereof  make  glad  the  city  of  God.'  This  is 
feasting  the  mind  on  the  bread  of  God,  which  came  down 
from  heaven  and  giveth  life  to  the  world.  This .  is  that 
full  satisfaction  produced  by  a  belief  of  the  truth,  and  a 
conformity  in  our  lives  and  conduct  to  the  principles  of 
the  Gospel. 

"  And  I  may  safely  add,  nothing  less  than  such  faith 
can  satisfy  those  native  desires  which  all  men  possess,  and 
which  in  many  have  been  renewed  and  called  into  action 
in  consequence  of  receiving  by  faith  the  doctrines  of  the 
Christian  religion.  My  friends,  were  any  of  you  ever 
'  abundantly  satisfied '  in  the  contemplation  that  some  of 
the  children  of  men,  perhaps  some  of  your  dearest  friends, 
and  possibly  yourselves,  were  exposed  to  unspeakable 
misery  '  without  relief  and  without  end '  ?  Did  the  be 
lief  of  such  a  sentiment  ever  fill  you  with  joy  and  peace, 
and  cause  you  to  abound  in  hope  ?  0,  no  !  The  incul 
cation  of  a  sentiment  so  unlike  the  character  of  nature's 
God,  so  contrary  to  the  spirit  and  doctrine  of  Christ,  so 
inconsistent  with  the  nature  and  tendency  of  the  re 
ligion  of  the  New  Testament,  and  so  revolting  to  the 
better  feelings  of  the  human  heart,  has  not  only  deprived 
vast  multitudes  of  that  satisfaction  which  a  belief  in  the 
true  Gospel  is  calculated  to  impart,  but  has  been  the  cause 
of  incalculable  infelicity ;  has  spread  darkness  and  despair 
over  the  minds  of  thousands,  who,  if  they  had  been  fa 
vored  with  a  correct  knowledge  of  the  character  and  pur 
poses  of  God,  would  have  rejoiced  in  that  abundant  satis- 


MINISTRY  IN   DANVERS.  59 

faction  which  is  realized  by  all  who  have  embraced  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  That  system  of  doctrine  which 
was  taught  by  Jesus  Christ  and  his  immediate  followers 
is  evidently  calculated  not  only  to  awaken  and  put  in 
exercise  all  the  benevolent  feelings  of  the  human  heart, 
to  warm  and  elevate  the  affections,  but  to  afford  that  full 
satisfaction  to  the  ardent  desires  of  the  devoted  heart, 
which  causes  it  to  rejoice  in  view  of  the  final  accomplish 
ment  of  all  the  purposes  of  God ;  for  these  purposes  com 
prehend  all  the  good  for  all  mankind  which  the  most 
devout  and  philanthropic  heart  can  possibly  desire ;  and 
consequently  those  who  receive  the  doctrines  of  Christian 
ity  as  they  are  given  us  in  the  Scriptures  of  divine  truth 
are  '  abundantly  satisfied '  with  the  purposes  of  almighty 
God  as  revealed  in  the  Gospel  of  his  grace ;  and  are 
enabled,  by  contemplation,  to  feast  the  soul  on  the  bread 
of  life,  and  '  drink  of  the  river  of  God's  pleasures.'  ' 

This  dedication  was  during  his  visit  to  Danvers,  and 
just  previous  to  the  entrance  upon  his  ministerial  engage 
ment  with  the  society  there.  His  location  was  a  pleasant 
one;  his  society  were  highly  gratified  that  they  had 
secured  his  services ;  he  was  very  near  by  his  Lebanon 
predecessor  and  worthy  friend,  Rev.  Lemuel  Willis,  of' 
Salem ;  and  he  had  better  facilities  for  pulpit  exchanges 
than  he  had  formerly  enjoyed. 

He  commenced  his  public  ministerial  services  with  his 
new  charge  on  the  last  Sabbath  in  February.  His  text 
in  the  morning  was  2d  Timothy  2 :  24,  25.  In  his  dis 
course  he  spoke  freely  of  the  duty  of  a  Christian  minis- 


60  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN  MOORE. 

ter ;  the  spirit  of  the  great  Master  which  he  should  mani 
fest  in  all  his  duties  within  and  without  his  parish  bound 
aries,  and  the  salutary  effects  of  such  a  true  life  on  his 
own  people.  In  the  afternoon  he  discoursed  from  Romans 
15  :  19, —  which  led  him  to  notice  the  blessing  of  the  Gos 
pel  of  Christ ;  that  it  contemplates  the  ultimate  holiness 
and  consequent  happiness  of  our  race,  because,  through 
the  Gospel,  life  and  immortality  are  brought  to  light  for  all 
who  die  in  Adam.  To  the  record  of  these  discourses  he 
adds  in  his  journal,  "  0,  may  I  ever  heed  the  direction  given 
in  the  first,  and  be  constantly  sustained  by  hope  which 
is  inspired  by  the  second,  of  these  passages  of  Holy  Writ." 
The  expression  of  his  feelings  in  relation  to  the  people 
he  had  so  recently  left,  as  we  find  it  in  a  letter  to  one  of 
his  most  intimate  Lebanon  friends,  shows  us  the  heart 
of  the  man.  "I  was  conscious,  at  the  time  I  left  you, 
of  having  acted  right ;  but  to  witness  the  united  desire  of 
old  and  young  that  I  should  remain  with  them,  made  me 
regret  exceedingly  that  I  had  gone  so  far ;  and  nothing 
but  a  sacred  regard  for  my  word  made  me  willing  to  leave 
that  society.  If  I  could  have  placed  myself  back  where 
I  was  before  I  engaged  here,  gladly  would  I  have  done 
•so.  But  it  was  for  the  best;  at  least,  this  is  my  belief. 
I  have  already  learned  what  I  might  never  have  known 
had  I  remained  in  Lebanon.  If,  at  the  close  of  my  en 
gagements  here,  my  friends  wish  me  to  return,  and  if 
I  can  be  as  conveniently  situated  there  as  here,  and 
especially  if  the  good  of  the  cause  which  we  love  demands 
it,  I  will  go  back.  For  I  say,  in  the  presence  of  high 


MINISTRY   IN   DANVERS.  61 

Heaven,  '  Let  my  right  hand  forget  its  cunning,  and  my 
tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth,'  if  I  forget  the 
cause  of  the  Gospel  of  that  grace  which  bringeth  salva 
tion  to  all  men  !"  He  calculates  his  movements  with  a 
constant  eye,  not  to  the  "main  chance]'  as  a  shrewd 
business  man  would  perhaps  say,  but  to  the  main 
cause.  That  was  more  than  other  things  to  him. 
Examples  like  this  are  not  new,  although  not  so  plenty 
as  they  might  be.  They  are  encouraged  and  honored 
by  a  ministry  which  long  ago  said,  "I  count  all  things 
but  loss,  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ 
Jesus  my  Lord." 

In  noting  his  public  services  for  Sunday,  March  24th, 
he  writes:  "Both  discourses  to-day  were  practical,  al 
though  the  second  was  strongly  seasoned  with  the  heav 
enly  doctrine  of  the  ultimate  subjugation  of  all  things  to 
Christ.  I  cannot  well  preach  a  sermon  without  having 
this  doctrine  showing  itself  somewhere  in  it.  For  if  I 
exhort  sinners  to  repent,  I  must  introduce  the  goodness 
of  God  as  an  inducement  to  repentance ;  and  this  leads 
directly  to  the  purposes  of  his  grace ;  and  these  include 
all  the  kindred  and  families  of  the  earth.  So  I  find  my 
self  every  way  beset  with  the  great  truth  of  divine  and 
immeasurable  love !  " 

The  installation  of  the  pastor  over  his  new  charge 
took  place  on  Thursday,  April  4th.  The  services  were 
as  follows :  Introductory  Prayer,  by  Rev.  J.  C.  Waldo ; 
Reading  of  Scriptures,  by  Rev.  L.  S.  Everett ;  Sermon, 
by  Rev.  Thomas  Jones — text,  Isa.  21 :  10,  11 ;  Install- 
6 


62  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

ing  Prayer,  by  Rev.  B.  B.  Murray ;  Charge,  by  Rev. 
Hosea  Ballou  ;  Fellowship,  by  Rev.  L.  S.  Everett ;  Ad 
dress  to  the  Society,  by  Rev.  L.  Willis ;  Concluding 
Prayer,  by  Rev.  T.  Jones.  An  original  hymn,  by  Jona 
than  Shove,  Esq.,  was  sung.  The  service  was  one  of 
much  interest,  and  was  attended  by  a  very  full  congre 
gation. 

Soon  after,  he  writes  to  a  friend:  "I  have  lived 
through  an  '  Installation '  here,  as  you  have  seen  by  the 
paper;  but  I  am  about  the  same  as  before.  While  I 
tarry  here,  I  shall  do  all  in  my  power,  consistent  with 
reason,  to  promote  the  prosperity  of  that  cause  which 
has  for  its  object  the  true  happiness  of  all  mankind.  I 
did  not  commence  preaching  from  anything  like  '  cash ' 
considerations,  but  to  answer  my  own  convictions  of  duty; 
and  whenever  I  deviate  from  a  course  like  this,  I  shall 
not  deserve  the  confidence  of  my  friends.  I  do  not 
mean  by  this  that  I  have  no  regard  for  the  welfare  pf 
my  family.  I  hope  I  may  never  prove  myself  a  denier 
of  the  faith,  and  worse  than  an  infidel."  In  this  letter 
—  which  is  to  one  of  his  Lebanon  brethren  —  he  ex 
presses  a  hope  that,  notwithstanding  his  new  settlement, 
there  is  a  prospect  that  he  may  yet  return  to  his  northern 
home.  This  hope,  with  all  others  he  may  cherish,  will 
inspire  him  to  work  with  Christian  earnestness  in  the 
field  now  before  him. 

On  no  subject  was  our  brother  more  sensitive  than  on 
what  he  considered  the  absurdities  of  a  partialist  theol 
ogy.  About  this  time  he  listened  to  a  discourse  from  a 


MINISTRY  IN  BANTERS.  63 

Baptist  clergyman,  the  heads  of  which  he  noted  down, 
and  the  whole  of  which  he  pronounces  "  as  heterogene 
ous  a  mass  of  ideas  as  he  ever  heard."  The  preacher 
contended,  1st,  that  God  loved  all  the  world,  and  that 
this  love  induced  him  to  send  his  Son  to  save  it ;  2d, 
the  Son  was  God  who  sent  him ;  3d,  the  object  of  the 
atonement  was  the  vindication  of  God's  justice ;  Christ 
suffered  all  the  punishment  which  was  due  to  the  sinner ; 
thus  magnifying  the  law  ;  4th,  by  the  suffering  of  Christ, 
God  can  now  forgive  the  believer ;  5th,  God  commands 
all  to  believe  ;  6th,  God  regards  his  own  glory  and  the 
highest  good  of  all  intelligences ;  7th,  God's  justice 
will  be  magnified  in  the  endless  punishment  of  the  sin 
ner  ;  8th,  the  saints  will  be  happier  than  if  they  never 
had  sinned ;  9th,  God  might  have  left  all  to  perish 
eternally,  as  he  did  the  fallen  angels ;  and  he  has  done 
the  sinner  no  injustice  by  saving  some.  Such  is  the 
theology ;  the  same  in  character  with  that  to  which  great 
numbers  of  professedly  Christian  people  have  given  a  part 
of  their  attention  for  long  years  in  the  past ;  a  theology 
which  always,  as  in  this  instance,  carries  its  own  refuta 
tion  on  its  face,  as  feature  after  featurte  of  it  is  made  to 
appear,  or  when  all  the  features  are  seen  at  once  together 
in  their  strange  incongruity.  "How  partial,"  writes 
Mr.  Moore,  "  such  a  theory  makes  the  Almighty;  and, 
then,  how  cruel  in  him  to  create  beings,  knowing  that  they 
would  be  endlessly  miserable !  This  must  be  a  doc 
trine  of  man's  invention."  It  is  a  more  satisfactory 
and  glorious  doctrine  than  this  to  which  he  alludes  in 


64  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOOEE. 

another  letter,  a  short  time  afterwards,  to  a  friend,  and 
that  friend  a  mother.  "  You  speak  of  your  absent  daugh 
ter  with  all  the  interest  of  a  mother.  May  your  fondest 
hopes  be  realized  in  relation  to  her,  and  all  your  dear 
children.  I  often  think  of  your  appearance ;  how  the 
tear  filled  your  eye  when  you  were  once  about  to  carry 
some  food  to  your  children,  and  I  inquired  if  you  were 
going  to  feed  them  all,  and  asked  why  you  did  not  lavish 
all  your  blessings  on  a  part,  and  let  the  others  go  ?  But 
a  mother's  love  is  godlike  in  its  nature,  impartial,  con 
stant,  unchanging.  You  thank  me  for  the  allusion 
I  made  to  a  particular  sentiment  (the  divine  goodness) 
in  your  letter,  and  '  hope  that  sentiment  will  be  more  and 
more  engraven  on  your  heart.'  I  hope  so  to.  It  is  as 
' a  place  of  broad  rivers  and  streams  ; '  as  'a  covert  from 
the  tempest,  as  an  hiding-place  from  the  wind,  as  rivers 
of  water  in  a  dry  place,  and  as  the  shadow  of  a  great 
rock  in  a  weary  land.'  With  the  blessed  doctrine  of  the 
paternal  government  of  God  fixed  in  our  minds,  and  in 
fluencing  our  hearts,  all  is  well." 

Again,  in  writing  to  another,  he  compares  Atheism 
and  Calvinism.  "I  consider  the  Atheist  and  the  Cal- 
vinistic  believer  in  endless  torments  both  very  unfortu 
nate.  When  I  hear  one  declare  that  there  is  no  God, 
and  the  other  that  there  is  a  God  possessed  of  such  a 
character  as  the  doctrine  of  endless  suffering  attributes 
to  him,  I  am  at  a  loss  where  to  bestow  the  most  pity.  I 
think  that  in  some  things  they  are  both  as  far  from  the 
truth  as  it  is  possible  for  them  to  be." 


MINISTRY  IN  DANVERS.  65 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Boston  Association  -was 
held  this  year  in  Haverhill,  Mass.,  on  Wednesday,  June 
5th.  Mr.  Moore  was  present,  and  gave  the  charge  at  the 
ordination  of  Rev.  Abraham  Norwood,  and  Rev.  T.  K. 
Taylor. 

It  was  in  June  of  this  year  that  the  new  Universalist 
church  belonging  to  the  First  Society  in  Danvers  (New 
Mills)  was  dedicated.  Mr.  Moore  was  expected  to  be 
present,  but  was  absent  at  the  meeting  of  the  State  Con 
vention,  in  "Warner,  N.  H.  He  had  been  appointed  the 
year  previous  to  deliver  the  occasional  discourse  at  this 
session  of  the  convention;  which  appointment  he  met 
and  answered  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  full  congregation 
that  heard  him.  His  text  was  2  Cor.  2  :  14,  —  "  Now 
thanks  be  unto  God,  which  always  causeth  us  to  triumph 
in  Christ,  and  maketh  manifest  the  savor  of  his  knowl 
edge  by  us  in  every  place." 

After  speaking  of  his  removal  from  the  state  since  his 
appointment  to  the  duty  now  devolving  upon  him,  and 
of  the  continued  interest,  notwithstanding  the  removal, 
which  Ije  still  felt  for  the  prosperity  of  the  Christian 
cause  in  New  Hampshire,  he  alludes  to  the  past  of  his 
own  experience,  and  contrasts  it  with  the  view  which  now 
cheers  him. 

"In  this  town  I  enjoyed,  for  the  first  time,  the  very 
exquisite  pleasure  of  attending  the  General  Convention,  in 
1822.  I  will  not  attempt  a  description  of  my  happiness 
on  that  joyous  occasion,  as  such  an  attempt  would  fail. 
That  was  the  commencement  of  my  attending  meetings  of 
6* 


66  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

this  kind  (and  then  not  as  a  preacher),  and  I  shall  look 
back  to  that  time,  and  to  those  scenes,  with  uncommon 
pleasure,  'while  life  and  thought  and  being  last.' 

"  The  vast  increase  in  the  numbers  of  believers  in  the 
doctrine  of  the  ultimate  holiness  and  consequent  happi 
ness  of  all  mankind,  since  that  period,  as  well  as  the  in 
crease  of  the  number  of  public  heralds  of  the  cross,  who 
have  gone  forth  to  proclaim  the  glad  tidings  of  the  king 
dom,  and  the  very  great  facility  of  making  known  the  all- 
conquering  doctrine  of  universal  and  efficient  grace,  in 
consequence  of  the  enlightened  state  of  the  public  mind, 
and  the  means  of  books  and  papers,  are  considerations 
which  cannot  fail  to  cause  the  heart  of  every  philanthro 
pist  to  exult  in  the  cheering  prospect  which  opens  before 
us.  and  to  say,  with  the  apostle,  '  Now  thanks  be  unto 
God,  which  always  causeth  us  to  triumph  in  Christ,  who 
maketh  manifest  the  savor  of  his  knowledge  by  us  in  every 
place.' 

"At  the  time  above  alluded  to,  there  was  no  associa 
tion  in  th  isstate ;  now  there  are  three,  which,  united, 
compose  this  body,  now  convened  for  the  first  time 
since  its  organization :  and,  notwithstanding  the  number 
of  societies  and  clergymen  who  have  publicly  em 
braced  the  Abrahamic  faith  is  less  in  this  than  in 
any  other  State  in  New  England,  in  proportion  to 
its  population,  still,  here  are  a  greater  number  of 
Universalists  than  were  known  on  the  globe  forty  years 
since.  I  might  give  a  more  particular  account  of  the 
number  of  preachers  and  societies  composing  the  order 


MINISTRY   IN  DANVEBS.  67 

of  Universalista ;  but  those  who  read  our  periodicals 
are  in  possession  of  all  the  encouraging  facts  to  which 
I  have  alluded.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  the  seed  which 
was  sown  by  the  intrepid  Murray  and  his  coadjutors 
along  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic,  although  small,  and  much 
despised  by  most  of  the  rulers  of  the  people  then,  was 
precious  in  the  sight  of  God,  and,  falling  on  congenial 
soil,  and  being  watered  by  the  gentle  showers  of  God's 
grace,  it  took  deep  root,  and  has  become  a  great  tree, 
yielding  an  abundance  of  healthful  fruit,  whose  life-giving 
qualities  have  recommended  it  to  the  favorable  attention 
of  many  in  almost  every  town  on  the  continent.  Surely, 
this  is  a  source  of  sincere  gratitude  to  Him  who  giveth 
us  all  things  richly  to  enjoy.  He  has  made  known  his 
saving  health  among  the  people.  Now  thousands  boldly 
espouse  the  glorious  cause  of  God's  impartial  grace,  which 
will  ultimately  destroy  all  hatred  ;  and  thousands  more 
secretly  feast  on  the  bread  of  life,  and  secretly  rejoice  in 
view  of  the  spread  of  the  heavenly  doctrine  we  love,  and 
which  will  continue  to  exert  its  healthful  influences  till 
all  shall  enjoy  its  purifying  hopes,  and  thus  be  saved 
from  sin  and  its  consequences  by  obeying  the  require 
ments  of  the  Gospel." 

Of  the  encouragements  to  hope  for  the  increase  of  the 
faith  he  so  much  loved,  again  he  says : 

"  But  while  we  are  obliged  by  the  nature  of  our  system 
of  doctrine,  and  the  present  state  of  the  religious  world, 
to  remain  a  distinct  people,  there  are  many  considerations 
which  afford  us  very  great  pleasure  —  a  pleasure  which  is 


68  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

peculiar  to  the  real  believer  in  the  salvation  of  the  whole 
world  by  Jesus  Christ. 

"  One  of  those  considerations  is,  the  tolerant  spirit  of 
our  government.  If  a  few  zealous  partisans  could  have 
had  their  wishes  gratified,  we  should  not  only  have  been 
disfranchised,  but,  in  all  probability,  by  this  time  prohib 
ited  from  holding  a  religious  meeting.  But,  instead  of 
the  people  being  ready  for  such  a  state  of  things,  these 
sectarian  civilians  have  been  told,  in  language  which 
they  will  not  soon  forget,  that  '•all  men  are  born  free  and 
equal,'  and  may  all  enjoy  their  religious  freedom  in  any 
way  they  deem  proper,  always  regarding  the  rights  of 
others,  —  and  for  this  liberty  we  would  be  grateful  to 
God,  the  giver  of  all  good  things. 

"  Another  pleasure  which  the  true  Universalist  enjoys, 
and  which  affords  him  not  a  little  comfort,  is,  that  while 
he  is  denied  the  fellowship  of  many  who  have  embraced 
a  partial  faith  in  a  partial  Saviour,  his  faith  embraces  the 
ultimate  salvation  of  a  world ;  he  looks  on  all  men  as  the 
children  of  one  Father,  consequently  as  brethren,  whose 
final  home  is  heaven ;  and  with  a  charity  which  never 
faileth,  and  a  hope  sure  and  steadfast,  he  views  the  grand 
purposes  of  Almighty  God  accomplished,  and  a  sinful, 
ignorant  world  saved  from  sin,  brought  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  true  character  of  God  and  the  purposes  of  his 
grace,  and  thus  made  happy  in  the  enjoyment  of  that 
exhaustless  love  which  pervades  the  universe,  and  will  at 
length  subdue  all  mankind  by  assimilating  them  to  the 
same  spirit. 


MINISTKY   IN   DANVERS.  69 

"Another  consideration  which  affords  us  much  pleasure 
is  the  fact,  which  cannot  long  be  overlooked  by  the  most 
superficial  observer,  that  in  an  exact  ratio  as  the  world 
has  improved  in  knowledge  and  refinement,  in  proportion 
as  the  human  intellect  has  expanded  in  relation  to  the 
subject  of  religious  doctrine,  partial  systems  have  fallen 
into  disrepute,  and  the  benevolent  system  of  God's  impar 
tial  and  efficient  grace  has  received  the  countenance  of 
many  who  have  long  been  confined  in  a  system  far  too 
limited  for  the  growth,  and  expansion,  and  consequent 
enjoyment,  of  the  mind." 

In  the  latter  part  of  August,  and  during  the  month  of 
September,  Mr.  Moore  was  ab'sent  again,  on  a  journey  to 
Vermont  and  New  Hampshire.  During  this  time  he 
attended  the  Vermont  State  Convention  at  Bethel,  and 
the  General  Convention  at  Strafford,  his  native  town. 
And  just  before  his  return  home  he  assisted  in  the  dedica 
tion  services  of  a  new  meeting-house  erected  by  the  Uni- 
versalists  and  Freewill  Baptists  in  Strafford.  He  preached 
the  second  sermon  on  the  day  of  the  dedication.  He  was 
away  from  home  on  this  visit  six  weeks. 

Not  long  after  this,  there  took  place,  in  the  town 
where  he  was  settled,  a  spirited  and  somewhat  notable  theo 
logical  discussion,  between  Eev.  Milton  P.  Braman,  pastor 
of  the  Congregationalist  church  in  North  Danvers,  and 
Rev.  Thomas  Whittemore,  of  ,Cambridgeport,  editor  of 
the  Trumpet  and  Universalist  Magazine,  published  at 
Boston.  The  talk  preliminary  to  this  formal  debate  had 
been  going  on  for  some  little  time  through  the  Trumpet 


70  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOOHE. 

and  Boston  Recorder.  Mr.  Brarnan  —  probably  deem 
ing  it  his  duty,  in  view  of  the  somewhat  wide-spread 
manifestations  of  Universalism  in  Danvers  —  had  been 
pleased  to  notice  it  publicly,  in  denunciations  not  of  the 
most  charitable  kind.  This  called  out  some  plain  strict 
ures  upon  his  course  through  the  Trumpet.  The  editor 
of  that  paper  solicited  Mr.  Braman  to  give  his  arguments 
against  Universalism  to  the  public ;  but  he  refused  to  do 
so.  If  he  preferred  not  to  publish  his  discourse  against 
Universalism  in  the  Trumpet,  the  editor  of  that  paper 
offered  to  publish  it  in  a  pamphlet  form,  without  any 
expense  to  the  author.  In  regard  to  an  oral  discussion, 
which  had  been  mentioned,  Mr.  Whittemore  expressed 
his  readiness  thus  to  meet  the  chief  theological  question 
between  the  two  persons,  and  engaged  to  be  with  Mr. 
Braman  in  any  meeting-house  in  the  town  where  he  lived, 
and  discuss  the  question  whether  the  doctrine  of  endless 
misery  is  revealed  in  the  holy  Scriptures. 

Mr.  Braman  replied  in  a  somewhat  contemptuous  tone, 
and  accepted  the  proposal  for  a  discussion,  desiring  to 
have  two  questions  for  consideration  :  1st,  as  to  future 
punishment ;  and,  2d,  as  to  its  duration.  To  this  Mr. 
Whittemore  objected,  preferring  to  have  but  one  question, 
that  which  he  had  already  proposed,  namely,  Is  the  doc 
trine  of  endless  misery  revealed  in  the  Scriptures  ? 
Mr.  Whittemore' s  proposals  were,  that  three  moderators 
be  appointed,  and  that  the  discussion  continue  until 
broken  off  by  mutual  consent.  To  this  Mr.  Braman  con 
sented,  leaving  it  to  Mr.  Whittemore  to  appoint  the  day 


MINISTRY   IN   DANVERS.  71 

and  hour  of  the  meeting.  The  time  finally  agreed  upon 
was  Wednesday,  November  6th,  at  nine  o'clock  A.  M. 

The  meeting-house  where  the  discussion  was  to  be  held 
was  about  eighteen  miles  from  Boston ;  and  it  was  early 
and  well  filled  on  that  day  with  people  from  many 
churches  and  many  homes,  representing,  in  ministry  and 
laity,  some  of  the  most  earnest  "  Orthodoxy"  and  "  Uni- 
versalism  "  in  that  section  of  the  state.  It  was  a  good 
day  for  one  of  the  contending  parties,  as  the  result  of  the 
discussion  showed.  The  moderators  chosen  were,  Rev. 
A.  W.  McClure,  of  Maiden;  Rev.  Sebastian  Streeter,  of 
Boston ;  these  two  gentlemen  making  choice  of  a  third, 
Rev.  E.  T  Taylor,  the  seamen's  minister  of  Boston.  The 
rules  of  the  debate  were,  in  substance,  as  follows :  The 
question  for  discussion  shall  be,  Is  the  doctrine  of  end 
less  misery  revealed  in  the  holy  Scriptures?  The 
discussion  shall  commence  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  and  continue  until  twelve ;  to  be  resumed  at  two,  and 
continue  until  five.  The  discussion  is  to  be  commenced 
by  Mr.  Braman,  and  the  speakers  are  to  follow  each 
other  alternately.  The  parties  shall  observe  the  rules  of 
fair  and  honorable  debate. 

"After  prayer  by  Mr.  Taylor,  the  discussion  was 
opened  by  Mr.  Braman.  He  spoke  of  the  manner 
in  which  the  discussion  originated,  and  proceeded  to 
establish,  in  a  way  most  satisfactory  to  himself,  1st,  the 
doctrine  of  punishment  in  the  future  state ;  and,  2d, 
the  endless  duration  of  that  punishment.  To  prove 
the  doctrine  of  future  punishment,  he  relied  principally 


72  MEMOIR    OF   JOHN    MOORE. 

on  the  73d  psalm,  and  on  Matthew  11 :  22,  —  'It 
shall  be  more  tolerable  for  Tyre  and  Sidon  at  the  day  of 
judgment  than  for  you  ; '  and  also  on  John  12  :  48,  — 
'  He  that  rejecteth  me,  and  receiveth  not  my  words,  hath 
one  that  judgeth  him  ;  the  word  that  I  have  spoken,  the 
same  shall  judge  him  at  the  last  day.'  To  prove  the 
endless  duration  of  punishment,  he  cited  the  parable  of 
the  rich  man  and  Lazarus,  Luke  16  :  19 — 31 ;  the  pas 
sage  in  2d  Thess.  1 :  7 — 9  ;  and  the  parable  of  the 
sheep  and  goats,  Matt.  25 :  31 — 46.  In  his  replies, 
Mr.  Whittemore  endeavored  to  show  that  these  passages 
of  Scripture  had  no  just  reference  to  the  subject  to 
which  Mr.  Braman  applied  them ;  that  they  were  not 
originally  intended  to  have  such  a  reference ;  and  the 
true  meaning  of  the  passages  was  given,  so  far  as  time 
would  allow,  and  so  far  as  it  was  necessary  to  show  that 
they  afford  no  support  to  the  doctrine  of  interminable 
woe.  In  addition  to  this,  it  was  shown,  by  a  great  variety 
of  testimony,  that  the  sacred  writers  taught  explicitly 
the  doctrine  of  the  ultimate  salvation  of  all  men.  If  this 
doctrine  is  revealed  in  the  Scriptures,  that  of  endless 
misery  cannot  be.  No  small  share  of  Mr.  Braman's  time 
was  occupied  in  endeavoring  to  resist  the  force  of  this 
testimony."  * 

The  defender  of  the  theology  of  the  old  "standing 
order"  of  New  England,  although  a  gentleman  of  excel 
lent  literary  attainments,  did  not  seem  to  be  well  at  home 

*  Trumpet  of  Nov.  16,  1833. 


MINISTRY  IN   DANVERS.  73 

on  this  occasion.  He  had  met  an  advocate  of  Universal- 
ism  who  had  given  that  doctrine  much  more  attention 
than  he  ;  and  who  better  understood,  not  only  the  princi 
pal  Scripture  arguments  by  which  it  was  sustained,  but 
the  admissions  of  opponents  in  its  favor.  Although  for 
the  most  part  courteous  in  the  debate,  Mr.  Braman  once 
had  the  misfortune  to  allude,  in  not  the  happiest  manner, 
to  the  bodily  form  of  his  antagonist,  thereby  raising  a 
laugh ;  for  which  misdemeanor  he  was  seriously  reproved 
by  Mr.  Whittemore,  who  reminded  him  that  since  he 
(Mr.  Braman)  came  there  to  establish  a  doctrine  which, 
if  true,  should  cause  sorrow  rather  than  laughter,  such 
joking  and  merriment  were  exceedingly  out  of  place.  So 
meagre  were  some  of  the  replies  of  Mr.  Braman,  towards 
the  last  of  the  discussion,  to  the  arguments  of  his  com 
panion  in  debate,  that  the  latter  had  little  else  to  do  than 
to  preach,  with  all  earnestness  and  freedom,  to  the  large 
assembly,  that  Gospel  which  declares  that  "  God  was  in 
Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself." 

The  services  of  the  day  were  closed  with  prayer  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Taylor.  Two  reports  of  the  discussion  were 
•issued  in  pamphlet  form  :  one  by  the  friends  of  Mr.  Bra 
man,  —  a  very  small  and  imperfect  work  ;  the  other  by 
Mr.  Whittemore,  which  did  far  better  justice  to  the 
arguments  on  both  sides  of  the  important  question  con 
sidered.  The  day  was  one  long  to  be  remembered  by 
those  who  listened  to  this  conflict  of  opinions.  Among 
that  number  was  Mr.  Moore.  It  was  to  him,  as  to  many 
of  his  ministering  brethren,  and  others  of  the  same  faith, 
7 


74  MEMOIR    OF   JOHN    MOOKE. 

an  occasion  of  gladness.  He  thus  speaks  of  it  in  a  letter 
of  November  8th  : 

' '  Last  Wednesday  I  had  the  pleasure  of  attending  the 
discussion  at  North  Danvers,  on  the  question  whether  '  the 
Scriptures  reveal  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery,'  be 
tween  Mr.  Whitteinore  and  Mr.  Braman.  The  latter 
gentleman  is  considered  one  of  the  ablest  opponents  of 
our  faith  in  Essex  County.  But  brother  Whittemore  was 
perfectly  '  at  home,'  and  the  performance,  I  think,  must 
be  regarded,  by  all  candid  people  who  heard  it,  as  a  com 
plete  triumph  of  the  glorious  doctrine  of  Universalism.  A 
multitude  of  all  parties  came  out  to  hear.  Mr.  Whitte 
more,  besides  answering  the  scriptural  and  other  argu 
ments  of  his  opponent,  had  ample  time  to  preach  Univer 
salism  ;  which  time  he  improved  to  great  advantage. 
Each  speaker  spoke  six  times,  thirty  minutes  at  a  time. 
One  thing  gave  me  great  pleasure,  and  that  was,  to  see  so 
many  '  orthodox '  clergymen,  laymen,  and  sisters,  who 
had  the  privilege  of  hearing  so  much  truth  proclaimed  ; 
who,  probably,  were  almost  entirely  ignorant  of  our  doc 
trine.  The  discussion  must  be  the  means  of  doing  much 
good.  You  will  hear  more  about  it." 

The  session  of  the  Boston  Association,  for  this  year, 
was  held  in  November,  in  Gloucester.  Mr.  Moore  at 
tended  it,  and  made  the  ordaining  prayer  at  the  setting 
apart  to  the  Gospel  ministry  Rev.  R.  S.  Pope.  This 
meeting  was  one  of  great  interest.  It  was  in  the  place 
where  the  first  Universalist  society  in  the  United  States 
was  formed ;  where  Rev.  John  Murray  was  ordained  a 


MINISTRY  IN  DANVERS.  75 

preacher  of  the  everlasting  Gospel ;  and  where  his  home 
was  for  many  years,  until  his  removal  to  Boston. 

As  the  year  was  closing,  he  mentions,  in  a  letter  to  a 
friend,  the  state  of  affairs  in  his  parish,  and  his  fondness 
for  preaching  his  faith.  "  Our  society  is  in  as  prosperous 
a  condition  as  could  be  expected,  and  I  continue  to  preach 
in  my  homely  way ;  and  my  friends  say  I  sometimes  give 
them  a  very  good  sermon.  You  know  I  could  never 
preach  anything  but  undisguised  Universalism.  I  was 
born  a  Universalist,  I  should  be  glad  to  live  one,  and  I 
hope  in  God  I  shall  die  one.  While  I  live,  I  am  deter 
mined  to  say  as  much  as  I  can,  with  propriety,  in  favor 
of  our  glorious  faith ;  for  I  know  that  it  is  the  power  of 
God  unto  salvation  to  all  who  believe.  The  late  discus 
sion  in  this  town  must  have  had  a  good  effect.  Truth 
never  loses  by  candid  examination." 

At  the  close  of  this  year  of  his  life,  his  reflections  are 
recorded.  They  seem  like  the  out-spoken  thoughts  of  the 
inner  man.  "  On  a  view  of  the  year  now  closing,  I  find 
something  for  which  to  condemn  myself,  —  a  lack  of 
gratitude  to  the  Author  of  all  good  for  the  prosperous 
circumstances  which  have  attended  us;  health,  plenty, 
yea,  countless  blessings.  May  they  be  continued !  But 
I  have  not  been  sufficiently  studious  during  the  past  year, 
nor  sufficiently  charitable  towards  my  religious  opponents, 
nor  sufficiently  zealous  in  the  propagation  of  what  I  con 
ceive  to  be  the  truth  of  the  Gospel.  May  God  enable  me 
to  make  improvement!" 

His  lecture  on  the  first  Sabbath  evening  of  the  new 


76  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

year  was  from  Micah  4  :  5.  The  object  of  it  was  to  show 
that,  on  the  supposition  that  the  doctrine  of  endless  pun 
ishment  be  true,  TJniversalism,  practically  speaking,  is 
the  safest  here  for  men,  inasmuch  as  it  naturally  pro 
duces  the  best  works,  —  its  teaching  and  practice  being 
love  to  God  and  love  to  man.  In  the  month  of  Febru 
ary  he  visited  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire  again.  He 
attended  an  educational  meeting  at  Norwich  :  the  instal 
lation  of  Rev.  Jehiel  Smith  at  Strafford,  Vt. ;  and 
preached  one  Sabbath  at  Lebanon,  and  one  at  Hanover, 
N.  H. 

We  believe  it  was  about  this  time  that  a  somewhat  sig 
nal  reproof  was  given  by  Mr.  Moore,  in  a  very  quiet 
way,  to  religious  effrontery  and  partisan  zeal.  A  story 
had  been  circulated  in  some  of  the  religious  journals  of 
the  day,  that  a  clergyman  in  Pennsylvania  had  silenced 
a  Universalist  minister,  by  rising  in  meeting  and  asking 
him  to  read  the  verse  next  after  his  text.  The  text  of 
the  Universalist  was  Mark  16  : 15,  —  "  Go  ye  into  all  the 
world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  The 
verse  following,  which  he  was  asked  to  read,  is,  "  He  that 
believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved;  but  he  that  be 
lie  veth  not  shall  be  damned."  The  source  of  the  story 
was  sought,  and  the  Universalist  clergyman  was  found  to 
be  Rev.  Jacob  Myers,  of  Petersburg,  Va.  It  was  ascer 
tained,  by  strict  inquiry,  that  the  Universalist  clergyman 
was  willing,  not  only  to  read  the  .verse,  but  to  preach 
from  it ;  which  last-named  privilege  was  not  granted. 
All  the  places  in  which  he  might  have  preached  were 


MINISTRY   IN   DANVERS.  77 

closed  against  him.  Some  time  afterwards,  however,  he 
went  to  the  place  where  it  was  said  he  was  silenced  (Leb 
anon,  Pa.),  and  preached  from  the  proposed  passage  to 
a  large  and  attentive  audience. 

The  original  story  was  in  circulation  for  some  time,  — 
among  many,  too,  who,  perhaps,  were  never  informed  of 
the  sequel  of  it.  It  came  to  Danvers  during  Mr.  Moore's 
ministry  there.  Rev.  Mr.  Porter,  of  Gloucester,  while 
preaching  in  Danvers,  related  the  first  version  of  the 
story,  and  insisted  very  soberly  that  the  Universalist  was 
overthrown,  by  being  requested  to  read  the  next  verse. 
Mr.  Moore,  who  happened  to  be  present  at  the  time,  after 
hearing  the  story  related,  arose.,  in  his  calm  and  dignified 
manner,  and  very  courteously  requested  Mr.  Porter  to 
read  the  next  verse,  "  And  these  signs  shall  follow  them 
that  believe :  In  my  name  shall  they  cast  out  devils ; 
they  shall  speak  with  new  tongues ;  they  shall  take  up 
serpents ;  and  if  they  drink  any  deadly  thing,  it  shall 
not  hurt  them  ;  and  they  shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and 
they  shall  recover."  Mr.  Porter  —  evidently  in  a  worse 
position  than  the  Universalist  minister  of  whom  he  had 
spoken  —  declined  a  compliance  with  the  request.  His 
frustration,  moreover,  spoiled  the  effect  of  the  story. 

The  quiet  humor  in  which  our  brother  was  wont  to  in 
dulge  would  now  and  then  manifest  itself  under  the  lit 
tle  trials  to  which  human  flesh  and  spirit  must  often  sub 
mit.  In  a  passage  in  his  journal,  where  he  notes  the 
visitation  of  that  scourge  of  all  its  victims,  the  toothache, 
we  find  this  vein  of  the  imaginative  and  philosophical : 
7* 


78  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

"Ill  to-night;  teeth-ache  and  head- ache   continually! 

-  Sleep,  '  tired  nature's  sweet  restorer,'  was  not 

permitted  to  afford  me  her  aid  except  at  short  intervals 
during  the  night.  Severe  Pain,  a  visitor  with  which  Sleep 
is  seldom  inclined  to  associate,  prevented  Sleep  from  re 
maining  with  me  but  a  few  moments  at  a  time.  I  could 
seem  to  see  the  kind  though  timid  dame,  in  the  distance, 
willing  to  afford  me  her  soothing  balm,  as  soon  as  I 
would  dismiss  her  mortal  enemy,  Pain.  I  did  often  say 
to  Pain,  '  Begone  !  This  is  a  late  hour,  and  I  wish  to 
enjoy  a  quiet  interview  with  my  kind  friend  Sleep.'  And 
then  Pain  would  promise  to  leave,  and  begin  to  make 
signs  of  going ;  but  still  lingered,  like  one  who  had  no 
particular  abiding-place,  but  must  be  somewhere.  And 
when  I  would  attempt  to  drive  the  unwelcome  guest  from 
me,  she  would  affect  to  reason  with  me,  saying,  '  How  is 
this  ?  I  seldom  call  at  your  door,  or  venture  to  speak 
to  you ;  and  it  is  now  a  long  time  since  I  have  prevented 
your  enjoyment  of  the  company  of  your  old  friend 
Sleep.  Besides,  I  must  be  somewhere ;  and  wherever 
I  go,  that  timid  Sleep  avoids  my  company  as  much  as 
now.'  Finally,  Pain  concluded  her  defence  with  what 
she  deemed  an  unanswerable  fact,  that  she  was  empow 
ered  and  entitled  by  the  great  law  of  nature  to  visit  at 
her  pleasure  all  who  live,  and  that  she  should  continue 
to  enjoy  this  freedom,  the  remonstrances  of  Sleep,  or  any 
of  her  friends,  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  I  then 
tried  to  persuade  Sleep  to  tarry  through  the  night  with 
me,  as  usual,  promising  to  devote  my  whole  attention  to 


MINISTRY   IN  DANVERS.  79 

her,  and  leave  Pain  to  her  own  reflections.  But  all  to 
no  purpose.  Then,  I  said,  '  Is  there  no  relief? '  '  As- ' 
suredly,'  answered  Necessity,  a  shrewd  old  mother,  whose 
presence  I  had  not  before  noticed.  '  Turn  all  this  to  your 
account,  and  so  make  yourself  happy.  Let  Sleep  remain 
away,  if  she  will.  Depend  on  what  I  say :  whenever 
you  oan  persuade  Pain  to  leave  you  (for  driven  she  will 
not  be),  Sleep  will  come  as  usual,  and  her  kindness  will 
be  sweeter  for  the  absence.  It  is  for  the  best  that  these 
children  of  nature  should  occupy  different  apartments 
in  their  father's  house.  They  themselves  have  been  so 
long  accustomed  to  oppose  each  other  (apparently),  that 
they  will  not  make  much  disturbance  if  the  other  mem 
bers  of  the  family  are  willing  they  should  live  as  they 
choose.'  And  this  seemed  to  settle  the  point.  Thus 
passed  the  night." 

One  of  the  trials  somehow  unavoidably  making  up  the 
sum  of  the  pastor's  life  is  that  arising  from  the  sensitive 
ness  of  certain  parishioners  in  view  of  what  they  deem 
'the  negligence  of  the  minister  to  call  upon  them.  This,  it 
is  true,  may  sometimes  be  the  fault  of  the  minister.  It  is 
equally  true,  also,  that  in  many  instances  the  cause  of  com 
plaint  lies  with  the  complainant  himself.  He  does  not  con 
sider,  as  he  ought,  the  many  calls  and  interruptions  occur 
ring  in  a  pastor's  life;  nor  the  fact  that  it  might  be  quite 
as  easy  for  him  to  make  the  pastor  a  friendly  call,  and  ex 
change  thoughts  with  him  on  ministerial  duties,  as  to  cher 
ish  hardness  against  one  who,  if  he  have  the  soul  of  a  true 
minister,  would  by  no  means  be  guilty  of  slighting  the 


80  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

least  of  the  little  ones  of  his  flock.  As  an  instance  of 
the  sensitiveness  to  which  we  allude,  we  take  a  passage 
or  two  from  the  private  journal  of  our  brother.  "  Just 
heard  of  one  who  has  left  our  meeting  for  another  because 

the  minister  has  not  called  as  often  as  he  would  like 

to  see  him.  How  deeply  such  a  one  must  love  the 
Christian  cause  !  How  strange  are  some  parts  of  this 
ministerial  life !  Is  not  the  minister  too  often  a  slave  to 
the  mere  whims  of  the  people  ?  He  must  not  call  on 
one  family  more  than  on  another :  he  must  write  good 
sermons,  visi^  the  parish  weekly,  attend  to  all  the  sick, 
and  to  the  funerals,  and  his  own  company,  and  the  wants 
of  his  family ;  become  all  things  to  all  men,  in  this 
sense ;  be  everywhere,  say  everything,  do  everything 
wanted  of  him  :  and  then,  if  he  can  please  all,  he  will 
escape  the  censure  of  the  people  !  But  there  is  no  do 
ing  this,  and  it  is  therefore  in  vain  to  try  it.  There  are 
some,  too,  who  will  not  be  suited.  Let  such,  I  say,  find 
fault,  if  they  must.  I  shall  do  as  nearly  right  as  I  can, 
and  rest  there."  A  conclusion  to  which  the  minister  is 
often  obliged  to  come;  and  where,  if  he  shall  come  in  the 
spirit  of  a  Christian,  he  will  fold  rest. 

In  the  early  autumn  of  this  year,  Mr.  Moore  journeyed 
again  into  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire.  He  attended 
the  State  Convention  at  Barre,  Vt. ;  preached  one  Sab 
bath  at  Strafford,  one  at  Norwich,  and  one  at  Thetford, 
Yt.  ;  one  at  Hanover,  and  one  at  Lebanon,  N.  H.  His 
old  friends  in  the  latter  place  claimed  the  fulfilment  of  a 
promise  he  made  them  to  return  and  settle  there.  He 


MINISTRY  IN  DANVERS.  81 

was  embarrassed  by  such  solicitations,  situated  as  he  was 
so  very  pleasantly  with  his  present  charge.  And  yet 
he  is  inclined  to  the  decision  that,  if  he  would  maintain 
consistency,  he  must  fulfil  the  promise  if  the  Lebanon 
friends  persist  in  demanding  it. 

After  his  return  to  Danvers,  he  took  occasion  to  ask 
of  the  society  in  Lebanon  a  relinquishment  of  their 
claims  upon  him.  But  they  were  not  thus  inclined. 
Their  minister,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Moore  (Rev.  Mr. 
Knapp),  had  left  them ;  they  had  the  same  hearts  and 
hands  as  ever  for  their  former  pastor  ;  the  field  of  minis 
terial  labor  was  quite  as  ample  as  before  for  him ;  and 
he  had,  ever  since  he  left  them,  signified  his  willingness 
to  return.  He  had  not,  indeed,  fully  reckoned  upon  the 
attachments  sure  to  be  formed  in  his  new  location ;  and 
so  this  hard  strife  in  spirit  came.  But  the  decision  was 
made  :  and  Lebanon  was  to  have  her  minister  again. 

The  Boston  Association  was  held  in  Acton,  in  Novem 
ber.  Mr.  Moore  attended  it.  At  the  time  of  this  meet 
ing  the  wife  of  the  minister  of  the  society  (Mrs.  Wright) 
was  very  low  in  consumption.  She  was  sustained- in 
these,  her  last  earthly  hours,  by  the  faith  of  the  Gospel. 
She  had  been  educated  in  a  faith  which  limits  the  grace 
of  God  to  a  portion  of  the  human  race ;  but  in  after 
years  she  had  obtained  ampler  views  of  the  divine  pater 
nity  and  sovereignty ;  had  found  these  views  the  source 
of  a  new  spiritual  life  to  her ;  and  now,  as  heart  and 
flesh  failed,  she  was  enabled  to  rejoice  in  the  inward 
strength  which  they  imparted.  During  the-  session  of 


82  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

the  Association  she  caused  it  to  be  mentioned  to  the 
assembled  congregation  that  her  faith  and  hope  were 
strong  and  unwavering.  In  former  years  her  kind  mother 
had  expressed  fears  that  her  doctrine  might  not  sustain 
her  in  the  dying  hour.  It  was  one  of  the  last-expressed 
wishes  of  the  daughter  that  this  parent  might  be  present 
to  witness  at  this  time  her  trust  in  the  infinite  Father. 
Mr.  Moore  mentions  in  his  journal  a  very  rich  spiritual 
interview  which  it  was  his  privilege  to  enjoy  with  the 
dying  believer. 

On  the  25th  of  December,  the  ministering  brother  who 
succeeded  Mr.  Moore  at  Lebanon,  and  had  now  left  that 
place,  was  installed  as  pastor  over  the  Universalist  so 
ciety  at  Danvers  New  Mills.  The  Right  Hand  of  Fellow 
ship  was  given  by  Mr.  Moore,  on  the  occasion. 

The  valedictory  discourse  to  his  people  in  Danvers 
was  delivered  by  Mr.  Moore  on  the  last  Sabbath  in  De 
cember.  It  was  a  regretful  parting  on  both  sides.  "  But 
for  his  promise  to  return  to  Lebanon,"  writes  one  of  his 
Danvers  parishioners,  "  he  might  have  remained  with  U3 
for  years,  if  not  for  life  ;  for  we  were  united  in  him,  and 
loved  him.  He  was  a  man  of  peace  ;  and  his  neighbors, 
though  of  opposite  faith,  could  not  help  respecting  him. 
The  Congregationalist  minister,  quite  a  rigid  man  in  the 
pulpit,  was  one  of  the  kindest  friends  he  had."  This 
was  Rev.  George  Cowles,  who,  with  his  companion,  was 
lost  on  board  the  steamer  "Home,"  some  years  afterwards. 
Says  Rev.  J.  W.  Putnam,  now  of  Danversport :  "There 
are  few  whose  ministry  will  be  remembered  with  a  more 


MINISTRY   IN  DANVERS.  83 

lively  interest  in  this  town  than  that  of  Mr.  Moore. 
Brief  as  the  ministry  was,  his  memory  is  cherished  by  all 
who  survive  him.  Not  a  word  to  detract  from  the  uni 
versal  expression  which  accords  to  him  the  virtues  of  a 
true  Christian  man,  have  I  ever  heard." 

We  closed  our  account  of  his  first  ministry  in  Lebanon 
with  a  merited  tribute  to  him,  from  one  who  received 
some  of  his  strongest  and  best  early  religious  impres 
sions  under  that  ministry ;  from  one,  too,  who  has  him 
self  since  entered  upon  the  great  work  of  a  preacher  of 
the  everlasting  word.  We  have  another  testimony,  in 
reference  to  his  ministry  in  Danvers,  .from  one  who  has 
been  for  years  past  a  faithful  pastor  in  our  churches.* 

"  It  «is  now  twenty- three  years  since  I  first  saw  and 
heard  our  departed  brother  Moore.  At  that  time  (dur 
ing  his  ministry  in  Danvers)  I  was  living  with  a  family 
of  professed  Universalists,  in  an  adjoining  town.  The 
wife  and  mother  —  one  of  earth's  saints  —  had  been 
suddenly  called*  to  her  final  home,  and  Mr.  Moore  was 
engaged  to  officiate  at  her  funeral.  I  was  then  a  boy 
of  fourteen ;  but  my  religious  prejudices  were  somewhat 
strong,  for  I  had  been  faithfully  nurtured  in  the  '  evan 
gelical'  doctrines  of  salvation, — Westminster  catechism 
and  all,  —  and  the  name  Universalist,  so  far  as  I  had 
been  made  acquainted  with  it,  had  been  held  up  as  an 
indication  of  evil ;  and  I  would  often  query  with  myself 
how  a  family  thus  believing  could  show  toward  me,  a 
homeless  and  houseless  stranger,  so  much  forbearance 

*  Rev.  C.  H.  Webster,  of  Lewiston  Falls,  Me. 


84  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

and  kindness ;  and  the  contrast  was  frequently  drawn 
between  myself  and  other  boys,  who  lived  with  good, 
pious,  and  professedly  religious  families,  of  another  faith  ; 
for,  while  they  were  so  treated  as  to  be  made  uneasy, 
because  uncomfortable,  in  their  homes,  I  was  rendered 
contented  and  happy. 

"  It  was  not,  therefore,  with  indifference  that  I  learned 
the  intent  of  the  husband,  son,  and  daughters,  to  have  a 
Universalist  minister  attend  the  funeral.  To  me  it  was 
something  strange ;  and  so  strange  that  I  could  not  keep 
the  secret,  but  communicated  it  to  the  boys  of  the  neigh 
borhood. 

"  The  hour  of  service  came ;  the  large  old-fashioned 
farm-house  sitting-room  was  filled  with  the  mourning 
family  and  friends,  including  the  hired  boy.  A  move 
ment  indicated  that  the  minister  had  come.  Soon  a 
noble-looking  man  stood  in  the  midst  of  us.  My  seat 
was  very  near  and  immediately  in  front  of  the  minister  ; 
and  my  eyes  were  at  once  intently  fixed  upon  him,  for 
he  seemed  to  my  young  heart  a  perfect  embodiment  of 
goodness  and  sympathy.  Only  the  spirit  of  his  remarks 
are  remembered  ;  but  such  was  their  effect,  that  since 
then  death  has  had  no  terror  for  me.  He  then  prayed  ; 
and  so  deep  was  my  interest,  so  great  my  veneration  and 
love  for  the  man,  so  holy  to  me  were  his  words,  that 
the  very  language  of  the  first  sentence  of  his  prayer 
has  ever  since  been  fresh  in  my  memory.  The  services 
closed,  and  Mr.  Moore  returned  home.  I  had  seen  and 
heard  the  Universalist  minister,  and  not  in  vain;  for 


MINISTRY   IN  DANVERS.  85 

the  expression  of  his  countenance  was  mirrored  upon  my 
heart,  his  words  seemed  still  to  echo  in  my  ear,  and  the 
man,  and  what  he  said,  were  made  the  frequent  themes 
of  conversation  with  others. 

"  Such  were  my  first  impressions ;  nor  were  they  fleet 
ing;  for  frequently,  in  the  long,  dreary  night-watches 
upon  the  stormy  deep,  did  I  think  of  that  minister ;  and 
so  great  was  my  desire  to  hear  him  preach,  though  by  no 
means  entertaining  a  favorable  opinion  of  his  doctrine, 
that,  when  an  opportunity  occurred,  I  walked  eight  miles 
to  hear  him ;  but,  somehow  or  other,  I  found  myself  in 
the  other  parish,  at  Danvers,  and  Rev.  Thomas  Whitte- 
more  in  the  pulpit.  That  was  my  first  attendance  upon 
Universalist  preaching. 

"  Twelve  years  afterwards,  he  took  me  by  the  hand, 
listened  to  my  story,  and,  with  the  old  look  of  love  and  f 
goodness  melting  from  his  eye,  said,  '  Brother  Webster, 
/  remember  the  steadfast  gaze  of  that  boy ;  and  I 
welcome  you  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  ! '  Since  then, 
whenever  it  was  my  lot  to  meet  with  him,  it  seemed  as 
though  he  greeted  me  with  peculiar  interest ;  and  certain 
it  is,  that  among  my  brethren,  all  of  whom  have  shown 
me  great  kindness  and  many  favors  which  will  be  ever 
gratefully  remembered,  his  was  the  smile  that  warmed 
widest  and  deepest.  0,  that  my  days  might  be  like  his, 
and  my  labors  as  fruitful  of  good  !  " 

Blessed  are  such  memories ;  and  blessed  are  those  who 
have  caused  them  in  their  heavenly  ministries  of  grace 
and  peace  with  men  ! 


CHAPTER    V. 

SECOND    MINISTRY   IN   LEBANON. 

AND  now  we  find  the  minister  back  again  in  his 
northern  home,  in  the  midst  of  friends  who  receive 
him  with  many  welcomes,  and  from  whom  it  seemed 
that  he  and  his  family  had  been  parted  for  a  few  days 
only.  His  ministerial  labors  are  principally  confined  to 
Lebanon  and  Hanover ;  although  he  has  many  calls  for 
his  services  elsewhere,  which  he  answers,  as  he  has  op 
portunity,  from  time  to  time.  His  private  journal  for 
the  years  of  his  second  ministry  in  Lebanon  being  lost, 
we  are  unable  to  present  so  direct  and  methodical  a 
memoir  for  this  time  as  is  desirable ;  and  must  be  con 
tent  to  obtain  here  and  there,  as  we  can,  glimpses  of  the 
man  and  his' surroundings,  as  these  may  be  found  through 
his  correspondence  and  other  sources.  In  a  letter  from 
Lebanon,  published  in  the  Trumpet  of  February  14, 
1835,  he  thus  writes  of  the  friends  he  had  just  left  in 
Massachusetts,  and  of  the  prospects  before  him  in  the 
old  ministerial  field  which  he  has  come  to  occupy  again  : 


SECOND   MINISTRY   IN   LEBANON.  87 

"  BR.  WHITTEMORE  :  In  accordance  with  your  request 
when  we  last  enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  each  other's  com 
pany  at  your  house,  I  now  write  you.  We  left  Boston  as 
we  intended,  on  '  New  Year's  day,'  and,  after  a  cold  and  un 
pleasant  ride,  found  ourselves  in  this  place  at  two  o'clock 
p.  M.  the  next  day,  where  we  were  received  by  our  old 
and  faithful  friends  with  all  that  cordiality  which  is  so 
characteristic  of  true  Universalists.  The  warm  expres 
sions  of  fraternal  regard  which  were  tendered  us,  together 
with  the  exertions  made  to  render  us  comfortable,  soon 
caused  us  to  forget  the  fatigue  of  our  journey.  In  one 
week  from  the  day  we  left  you,  we  found  ourselves  pleas 
antly  settled  down  in  our  '  own  hired  house,'  surrounded 
with  all  the  necessaries  and  most  of  the  conveniences 
of  life ;  in  the  enjoyment  of  health,  both  physically  and 
morally  ;  and,  besides,  we  have  what  is  the  very  essence 
of  a  good  life,  namely,  unshaken  confidence  in  the  truth  of 
•the  glorious  doctrine  of  Universalism,  and  this  is  dearer 
to  our  hearts  than  all  the  world  beside.  I  have  preached 
in  this  town,  and  at  Hanover,  where  you  know  I  am 
engaged  one  third  of  the  time.  Our  meetings  are  well 
attended  at  both  places,  by  those  who  are  already  estab 
lished  in  the  doctrine  we  preach,  or  who  have  inquiring 
minds. 

"  My  field  of  labor  is  greatly  extended,  and  of  course 
my  duties  are  more  arduous  than  when  I  was  in  Massa 
chusetts  ;  and,  besides,  I  am  deprived  of  many  privileges 
I  there  enjoyed.  But,  as  an  offset,  I  shall  probably  do 
much  more  in  the  dissemination  of  the  truths  of  the 


88  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOOEE. 

Gospel,  and  thus  be  more  useful  in  the  cause  in  which  we 
are  mutually  engaged  than  I  was  at  Danvers.  I  regret 
ted  extremely  that  I  felt  myself  bound,  by  every  principle 
which  renders  the  ministerial  character  what  it  should  be 
in  point  of  integrity,  to  leave  that  pleasant  part  of  our 
Master's  vineyard ;  for  my  personal  ease,  my  pecuniary 
interest,  and  my  future  prospects,  all  combined  to  hold 
me  there.  And,  besides  these  inducements,  we  had  formed 
many  very  intimate  and  agreeable  connections,  both  in 
our  society  and  out  of  it,  with  the  clergy  and  laity  of 
our  own  and  other  denominations  ;  and  the  only  unpleas 
ant  feelings  that  ever  existed  between  myself  or  family 
and  the  society  to  which  I  ministered  were  caused  by 
the  separation  ;  a  separation  which  was  equally  unwel 
come  to  both  parties,  and  which  was  caused  by  what  may 
have  been  deemed  imprudent  in  me, — in  leaving  a  pledge 
here  that  I  would  return,  if  circumstances  should  require 
it.  My  sense  of  duty  to  my  own  character,  to  my  con 
science,  and  to  the  cause  which  I  espoused  because  I  loved 
it  more  than  wealth  or  ease,  induced  me  to  make  the 
sacrifice.  And  I  beg  leave,  through  the  columns  of  your 
paper,  again  to  express  to  the  society  we  have  recently 
left,  our  kind  regards  for  all  their  attention,  which  we  so 
liberally  shared,  both  in  public  and  private,  during  our 
pleasant  stay  with  them.  Our  prayer  is,  that  they  may 
soon  find  a  '•  pastor  who  shall  feed  them  with  knowledge 
and  with  understanding, '  and  in  whose  society  they  may 
be  happy.  You  will  also  permit  me  to  say  to  our  minis 
tering  brethren  in  your  vicinity,  with  whom  I  had  the 


SECOND   MINISTRY   IN   LEBANON.  89 

happiness  of  associating,  that  I  feel  greatly  indebted  to 
them  for  the  countenance  they  gave  me.  The  cordiality 
•with  which  they  received  me  into  their  families  and  their 
pulpits  will  long  be  remembered.  Brethren,  may  the 
spirit  of  grace,  and  truth,  and  love,  still  bind  us  together 
in  'the  work  of  the  Lord.' ': 

During  the  summer  months  of  this  year,  the  society 
in  Lebanon  remodelled  their  house  of  worship.  Mr. 
Moore  speaks  of  it  in  a  letter  to  his  friend,  Rev.  Mr. 
Willis,  of  Salem.  "  Our  cause  is  in  a  more  prosperous 
condition  in  this  town  and  vicinity  than  at  any  former 
period.  Our  friends  here  are  now  engaged  in  transform 
ing  our  old  church.  They  will  have,  in  a  few  weeks,  a 
very  convenient  meeting-room  in  the  upper  story,  finished 
in  a  neat  style,  in  slips  elevated  from  the  centre.  There 
will  be  sixty-eight,  or  more,  large  slips,  besides  a  large 
orchestra  in  front  of  the  desk,  so  situated  that  the  choir 
when  singing  will  face  the  audience,  and  when  seated 
the  speaker.  The  basement  story  will  be  occupied  for 
town  and  other  purposes."  This  alteration  was  completed 
in  August,  when  the  house  was  reopened  for  religious 
worship  by  dedicatory  services. 

It  was  in  the  winter  and  spring  of  1835  that  the  reli 
gious  excitement  caused  by  the  preaching  of  Rev.  Jedediah 
Burchard  took  place  in  some  of  the  principal  towns  in  Ver 
mont,  and  a  few  places  in  New  Hampshire.  Mr.  B.  was 
one  of  the  most  extravagant  of  "  revivalists ;  "  of  fluent, 
bold  and  strange  speech,  and  manifesting  at  times  no 
ordinary  power  of  eloquence.  Whatever  he  was  pleased 
8* 


90  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

to  deem  heresy  was  handled  by  him  without  mercy,  and 
the  one  who  held  it  not  unfrequently  consigned  to  eternal 
perdition.  It  was  surprising  to  many  then,  it  is  surpris 
ing  to  many  more  now,  that  such  a  man  should  have 
been  permitted  to  make  such  moral  havoc  in  the  churches; 
ministers,  deacons,  church-leaders,  and  church-members, 
occupying  highest  social  positions,  all  yielding  their  places 
to  him,  and  encouraging,  by  positive  advice  or  silent 
acquiescence,  obedience  to  his  dictation.  Hanover,  among 
other  places,  was  visited  by  this  itinerant,  and  the  insti 
tution  of  learning  there  made  in  some  measure  subject 
to  his  ministries  ;  its  immediate  directors,  and  not  a  few 
of  its  students,  giving  countenance  to  his  doings.  Upon 
Universalists,  Unitarians,  and  sometimes  upon  other  sects, 
he  was  unqualifiedly  severe.  Mr.  Moore  took  occasion 
to  hear  him, — enough,  at  least,  to  realize  something  of  the 
truth  of  the  almost  incredible  reports  which  had  reached 
him  of  the  speech  and  conduct  of  the  man.  In  writing  to 
a  friend,  he  declares  him  "the  most  blasphemous  person 
he  ever  heard  in  the  person  of  a  professed  minister  of 
Jesus.  I  have  heard  him  once ;  that  is  all.  I  would  not 
degrade  myself  so  much  as  to  go  a  single  rod  to  hear  him 
again.  His  performances  are  too  outrageous  to  be  coun 
tenanced  by  any  one  having  a  true  regard  for  Christianity. 
And  yet  there  are  grave  clergymen  who  will  sit  and 
smile  at  his  strange  sayings,  and  even  laugh  to  hear  him 
consign  to  '  eternal  hell '  all,  without  exception,  who  do 
not  believe  in  the  Trinity.  He  is  doing  us  no  harm,  other 
wise  than  he  is  bringing  a  reproach  upon  Christianity." 


SECOND   MINISTRY   IN  LEBANON.  91 

This  special  reign  of  religious  fanaticism  was  not 
countenanced  by  many  of  "orthodox"  Congregational 
ministers  and  churches  in  New  England.  There  were  some 
very  decided  and  strong  voices  against  the  proceedings  of 
this  new  and  strange  spiritual  guide.  Among  these  we 
may  cite  the  language  of  a  writer  in  the  Literary  and 
Theological  Review,  as  one  of  the  most  expressive  of 
any  which  appeared  at  that  time. 

"It  is  no  new  thing  in  our  world  for  buffoonery  to 
creep  within  the  railings  of  the  altar,  and  play  his  antic 
tricks  in  the  robe  of  religion.  The  matter  of  astonish 
ment  is,  that  the  names  of  some  whom  we  have  been  ac 
customed  to  respect  should  be  found  on  the  back  of  the 
note  of  which  Mr.  Burchard  is  signer  and  respondee. 
Thousands  have  been  ruined  by  having  their  names  on 
bad  paper." 

Again,  in  reference  to  colleges  : 

"In  general,  with  respect  to  our  smaller  colleges,  a 
popular  preacher  may  shake  them  to  their  foundation.  If 
Peter  the  Hermit  should  arise  from  the  dead,  he  would 
send  them  on  a  crusade.  The  recent  history  of  our 
country  has  afforded  but  too  many  examples  of  super 
stition,  which  has  been  defined  as  that  in  which  wise 
men  follow  fools.  We  write  this  in  sorrow,  not  in  an 
ger.  In  view  of  the  mournful  farcical  scenes  which  have 
been  enacted,  our  pity  suppresses  our  indignation." 

And  again:  "Nothing  is  more  certain,  in  religion, 
than  that  the  excessive  kills  the  true  ;  just  as  the  tree 
that  luxuriates  in  leaves  and  branches  seldom  bears  fruit. 


92  MEMOIK  OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

Where  men  see  such  fair  appearances  fail,  they  lose  their 
confidence  in  all  pretensions  to  piety.  A  general  distrust 
seizes  the  public  mind.  The  zealot  becomes  a  hypocrite. 
The  revival  ends  in  spurious  excitement,  and,  for  a  mo 
ment's  triumph,  the  long  season  of  reverse  and  reaction 
comes.  To  use  a  comparison  taken  from  King  Pyrrhus, 
we  gain  the  battle,  and  are  ruined  in  the  war." 

The  judgment  herein  rendered  is  in  agreement  with 
that  view  of  the  measures  of  "  The  Revivalist"  taken  by 
our  clear-sighted  minister  of  Lebanon.  He  regarded 
such  extravagances  as  perversions  of  the  right  ways  of 
the  Lord.  It  was  his  high  privilege  to  hold  and  advocate 
a  religion  which  gave  no  countenance  to  such  deceitful 
workings  of  human  passions ;  that  aimed  to  convert  men, 
not  to  a  deity  of  repulsive  and  hateful  character,  by  ex 
travagant  appeals  to  the  fear  that  hath  torment,  but  by 
the  instructions  of  reason,  and  the  Revealed  Word,  to 
that  God  who  is  love ;  to  that  humanity  which  this  love 
would  make  one ;  to  that  heavenliness  which  ministers  to 
the  wants  and  afflictions  of  our  nature,  and  keeps  itself 
unspotted  from  the  world. 

Since  his  profession  of  faith  in  Christianity,  Mr. 
Moore,  had  always  taken  a  deep  interest  in  Christian 
ordinances,  such  as  he  believed  to  be  profitable,  and  of 
essential  aid  in  the  spiritual  growth  of  believers.  He 
always  regarded  the  ordinances  as  aids,  not  hindrances,  to 
the  Christian  life.  Some  of  them  had  been  made  imped 
iments  in  the  way  of  many,  by  the  erroneous  opinions 
held  and  taught  in  connection  with  them.  Many  had 


SECOND  MINISTRY   IN  LEBANON.  93 

been  kept  away  from  them  through  fear  of  encountering 
undue  responsibilities  which  had  been  attached  to  them, 
and  too  many  also  from  a  low  estimate  of  their  utility. 
Our  brother  took  a  more  reasonable  and  scriptural  view 
of  them.  Ordinances  to  him  were  positive  aids  in  the 
formation  of  Christian  character,  and  in  the  perfecting 
of  Christian  life.  He  thus  regarded  the  institution  of  the 
Lord's  Supper ;  and  always  took  a  special  interest  in  its 
observance,  wherever  he  was  called  to  minister  to  the 
spiritual  wants  of  the  people. 

It  was  in  May,  1835  (we  well  remember  it),  that  a 
meeting,  previously  agreed  upon,  was  held  at  his  house, 
in  Lebanon,  to  take  into  consideration  the  subject  of 
church  organization  and  the  Lord's  Supper.  The  meet 
ing  consisted  of  ministers  and  laymen,  and  was  well  at 
tended.  The  discussion  of  subjects  coming  before  it  was 
characterized  by  frankness,  candor,  and  harmony.  In  a 
report  of  the  conference,  Mr.  Moore  says : 

"We  had  the  happiness  to  learn  that  there  was  a 
nearer  agreement  upon  disputable  questions  than  was  an 
ticipated  ;  and,  after  suitable  deliberation,  the  slight  shades 
of  difference  of  opinion  were  dissipated,  and  we  were  of 
one  mitid,  as  well  as  of  one  heart,  in  regard  to  a  subject 
concerning  which  sincere  Christians  may  entertain  dif 
ferent  views,  namely,  the  organization  of  churches  for  mu 
tual  edification,  and  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 
The  members  of  the  conference  were  unanimously  of 
the  opinion  of  many  of  our  lay-brethren,  that  the  too 
common  practice  of  forming  churches  independent  of 


94  MEMOIR  OP  JOHN  MOOEE. 

the  societies  to  •which  they  belong,  and  of  requiring  the 
members  thereof  to  subscribe  to  sectarian  '  creeds,'  and 
to  take  upon  themselves  certain  'covenants,'  which  seem 
to  imply  that  they  consider  themselves  much  better  and 
holier  than  their  brethren  and  sisters  are,  '  who  do  not 
join  the  church'  (as  the  saying  is),  is  unscriptural  and 
unreasonable,  and  by  no  means  calculated  to  answer  the 
valuable  purposes  for  which  the  Christian  ordinances 
were  designed." 

The  report  concludes :  "To  obviate  these  difficulties, 
and  others  which  might  be  named,  the  brethren  compos 
ing  the  conference  agreed  upon  the  subsequent  '  form 
of  sound  words,'  drawn  up  by  Br.  John  Moore,  as  the 
basis  upon  which  to  recommend  the  organization  of 
churches  in  this  region,  in  which  the  ordinances  of  our 
holy  religion  may  be  observed  agreeably  to  apostolic 
usage,  and,  as  we  hope,  not  create  any  divisions  or  ex 
cite  any  unpleasant  feelings  among  the  worthy  members 
of  Universalist  societies,  namely : 

"  '  We,  the  undersigned,  believing  our  individual  and 
mutual  edification  and  growth  in  grace  may  be  improved, 
the  apostolic  examples  observed,  and  the  cause  of  truth 
and  happiness  promoted,  by  the  organization  of  a  church 
in  connection  with  the  —  -  Universalist  Society  of 

,  do  hereby  enter  into  such  connection,  and  adopt 

the  New  Testament  as  the  rule  of  our  faith  and  prac 
tice.  We  will,  therefore,  invite  to  our  communion  all 
Christians,  and  receive  into  our  fellowship  any  person 
desirous  of  leading  a  Christian  life." 


SECOND  MINISTRY   IN   LEBANON.  95 

Such  was  the  result  of  that  friendly  conference.  What 
ever  may  be  thought  of  "the  form  of  words"  recom 
mended  as  the  result  of  that  day's  deliberation,  it  would 
be  edifying  to  all  the  churches,  could  they  enter  upon  the 
observance  of  any  of  the  ordinances  in  a  spirit  akin  to 
that  which  pervaded  this  social  interview.  We  feel,  at 
this  hour,  as  we  write  of  it,  that  it  was  good  for  us  that 
we  were  there.  Among  that  number  in  conference,  none 
took  greater  pleasure  in  the  object  of  the  meeting  than 
he  who  had  opened  for  it  his  ever-welcomed  home. 

Among  the  letters  of  the  minister  during  these  days, 
there  is  one  written  to  his  son,  who  was  then  a  student 
at  Norwich,  Yt.  It  is  so  full  of  a  parent's  anxiety  and 
tenderness,  and  yet  so  simply  and  quietly  spoken,  that 
we  cannot  resist  the  inclination  to  give  it  a  place  here. 
We  commend  it  to  the  youthful  reader  who  may  take  an 
interest  in  this  narration.  It  is  the  earnest  word  of  a  true 
guardian  spirit,  who  would  have  the  young  man  saved 
from  a  false  life,  from  the  corruptions  of  the  world,  and 
established  in  truth  and  purity. 

"  DEAR  SON  :  While  employed  in  the  garden  to-day, 
I  have  been  thinking  of  you.  I  have  never  given  you 
much  urgent  counsel  relative  to  your  conduct,  —  not  be 
cause  I  have  been  indifferent  to  the  subject,  but  because 
you  have  generally  been  with  us,  and  have  uniformly 
conducted  with  propriety.  But,  as  you  are  now  somewhat 
by  yourself,  and  as  you  are  in  that  stage  of  life  when 
the  allurements  of  vice  are  most  powerful,  you  will  per- 


96  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

roit  me,  in  the  spirit  of  paternal  love,  to  suggest  a  few 
things  for  your  good. 

"  And,  first,  it  will  give  me  pleasure  to  know  that  you 
spend  your  Sundays  either  at  church  or  in  your  room. 
I  am  not  averse  to  your  walking  out  either  morning  or 
evening ;  but  do  not  be  seen  in  the  fields  or  streets  in 
time  of  public  service.  Pay  a  reasonable  deference  to 
the  day.  Honor  yourself  and  your  father's  calling  by 
so  doing.  Let  not  the  day  pass  without  reading  some 
portion  of  the  New  Testament. 

"  Do  not  engage  in  any  business  which  you  would  be 
unwilling  the  world  should  know.  Let  your  own  sense 
of  right  and  love  of  virtue  govern  your  actions. 

"  Never  descend  to  low  and  vulgar  conversation.  Avoid 
profanity,  and  the  company  of  those  who  practise  it.  I 
know  not  that  you  ever  permit  yourself  this  ungentle- 
manly  indulgence.  It  will  be  a  joy  to  me  to  know  that 
you  do  not. 

"  Be  honest  in  all  things.  In  your  deportment  be 
cheerful,  and  yet  reserved. 

"  I  write  this,  as  I  have  said,  not  because  of  any  im 
propriety  in  your  conduct,  but  because  '  an  ounce  of 
prevention  is  worth  a  pound  of  cure.' 

"If  we  are  so  highly  gratified  in  knowing  that  you 
sustain  such  a  character  as  we  believe  you  now  possess, 
should  you  make  new  acquirements  by  a  strict  observance 
of  the  principles  of  the  Gospel,  it  will  add  greatly  to  our 
happiness,  and  amply  reward  us  for  all  our  care  and 


SECOND   MINISTRY  IN  LEBANON.  97 

anxiety  for  you.     Kemember  that  the  world  will  expect 
of  you  according  to  the  advantages  you  have  enjoyed." 

In  June,  1836,  Mr.  Moore  entered  into  copartnership 
•with  Rev.  B.  H.  Fuller,  in  editing  and  publishing 
the  Universalist  Watchman  at  Lebanon,  to  which 
place  the  publication  office  of  the  paper  had  been  removed 
from  Woodstock,  Vt.  This  arrangement,  however,  did 
not  long  continue.  Mr.  Moore  sold  out  his  pecuniary 
interest  in  the  paper,  and  it  was  taken  to  Montpelier, 
Vt.,  where  it  has  ever  since  been  published.  It  is  now 
the  Repository,  edited  by  Rev.  Eli  Ballou.  Mr. 
Moore  continued  as  associate  editor  of  the  paper  for  some 
time  after  its  removal  from  Lebanon. 

On  the  23d  of  November  Rev.  J.  G.  Adams  was  in 
stalled  as  pastor  of  the  Universalist  society  in  Claremont, 
N.  H.  Mr.  Moore  preached  the  sermon  and  offered  the 
installing  prayer  on  the  occasion.  The  other  services 
were  conducted  by  Rev.  A.  L.  Balch,  Rev.  Warren 
Skinner,  Rev.  W.  S.  Ballou,  and  Rev.  D.  Ackley. 

In  the  Watchman  for  December  3d  of  this  year 
he  speaks  of  a  new  society  which  he  thought  might  be 
useful,  the  constitution  of  which  he  had  seen,  and  which 
he  deemed  worthy  of  attention  and  approval.  "  The  con 
stitution,"  he  says,  "  is  very  liberal,  giving  all  persons 
of  both  sexes  admission.  The  object  of  the  society  is, 
'  while  seeing  others'  faults,  to  know  and  correct  our 
own.'  It  is  called  '  The  Self-Examination  Society.'  No 
officers  are  to  be  elected ;  no  money  raised ;  no  public 
9 


98  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

meetings  held ;  but  '  every  member  shall  meet  himself 
alone  once  every  day,  and  listen  to  the  lectures  of  his 
own  conscience.  Things  are  to  be  called  by  their  right 
names ;  no  aristocratic  spirit  is  to  be  tolerated ;  moral 
worth  is  to  be  the  basis  of  good  society,  and  none  are  to 
be  disrespected  on  account  of  any  useful  occupation.' 
We  think  it  one  of  the  best  of  proposals  we  have  seen, 
and  have  concluded  to  join." 

It  was  some  time  in  this  year  that  a  circumstance  took 
place  which  was  afterwards  related  in  a  religious  periodi 
cal,  and  which,  for  its  true  appeal  to  all  paternal  hearts, 
is  worthy  of  record  here. 

"  I  attended  the  funeral  services  of  a  child,  which 
were  performed  by  a  Methodist  minister.  The  child  was 
an  only  son,  beautiful  and  promising, — at  least,  so  in  the 
estimation  of  its  parents  and  their  two  remaining  daugh 
ters,  who  were  about  entering  their  teens,  all  of  whom 
were  highly  delighted  with  the  name  and  company  of  a 
son  and  brother.  But,  in  an  hour  when  they  least  ex 
pected  it,  sickness  and  death  came,  and  the  angel  of  God 
removed  the  spirit  to  its  divine  Author,  and  all  that  was 
left  them  was  the  beautiful  and  lovely  form,  —  rendered 
more  beautiful  by  the  work  of  the  destroyer,  and  the  fact 
that  they  could  gaze  with  melancholy  pleasure  on  it  but 
a  few  hours  more. 

' '  The  parents  were  Methodists,  and  of  course  were 
not,  by  their  creed,  denied  the  full  and  blessed  consola 
tion  of  regarding  their  lovely  boy  as  in  the  arms  of  the 
blessed  Saviour  of  the  world,  whose  words  of  love  to 


SECOND   MINISTRY   IN  LEBANON.  99 

children  now  came  home  to  their  hearts  with  a  meaning, 
and  beauty,  and  glory,  which  they  had  never  realized 
before,  and  of  which  the  minister  made  a  good  use  in  his 
discourse.  It  was  with  no  little  satisfaction  that  I  per 
ceived  that  mourning  group  hanging  upon  the  words  of 
comfort  as  they  fell  from  the  lips  of  their  spiritual  teacher, 
while  he  led  them  to  the  fountain  of  '  everlasting  consola 
tion  and  good  hope  through  grace,'  in  regard  to  the  con 
dition  of  the  dear  departed  one.  For,  according  to  their 
faith,  and  the  doctrine  then  declared  by  the  preacher,  — 
who,  so  far  as  the  condition  of  the  departed  child  was 
concerned,  was  indeed  a  'minister  of  peace,' —  no  doubts 
were  by  them  entertained  of  the  happy  destiny  of  the 
loved  one,  as  it  had  died  before  it  had  passed  '  the  line 
of  accountability,'  and  would,  therefore,  be  saved  by  the 
grace  of  God ;  or,  in  the  language  of  the  preacher,  '  by 
the  atoning  merit  of  the  blood  of  Christ.' 

"  But,  while  listening  to  those  remarks  which  were  so 
consoling  to  the  bereaved  spirit  in  reference  to  the  de 
parted  one,  my  mind  would  dwell  on  the  creed  of  that 
minister,  and  those  parents,  in  regard  to  their  living  chil 
dren.  ^  Would  that  same  Father  in  heaven  who  had 
given  them  life,  and  that  Saviour  who  had  blessed  chil 
dren,  continue  to  be  merciful  and  gracious  to  those  who 
are  permitted  to  '  pass  the  line  of  accountability '  ?  Or 
does  the  grace  of  God  abandon  such  to  their  own  ways, 
while  it  secures  the  happy  destiny  of  all  who  die  this 
side  of  that  line  ?  There  were  two  daughters,  both  of 
whom  were  accountable,  neither  of  whom  had  '  experi- 


100  MEMQIE   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

enced  a  saving  change  of  heart,' — both  exposed  to  death; 
and  if  they  should  die  as  they  were,  would  their  destiny 
be  a  happy  or  a  miserable  one  ?  These  were  questions 
which  forced  themselves  upon  my  mind,  and  which,  in  the 
light  of  the  creed  of  those  parents,  must  have  startled 
them.  But,  happily  for  them  there,  they  did  not  remem 
ber  the  danger  in  which  their  creed  placed  their  living 
children ;  they  were  happy  in  contemplating  the  safety 
and  happiness  of  the  departed.  I  had  no  desire  to  divert 
their  minds  from  that  holy  trust  they  seemed  to  repose 
in  God,  under  the  melancholy  providence  which  they 
were  called  to  experience.  And  yet  I  was  desirous  of 
having  those,  and  all  parents,  brought  to  enjoy  the  same 
hope  and  trust  in  God,  in  regard  to  the  destiny  of  all  their 
children,  as  in  respect  to  those  who  die  in  infancy. 

"  The  present  view  of  the  subject  of  the  destiny  of 
children  is  a  vast  improvement  on  the  past,  when  it  was 
held  and  taught  that  many  who  died,  even  in  infancy, 
would  be  doomed  to  endless  suffering.  There  may  be  a 
few  who  still  hold  on  to  that  most  horrid  dogma ;  and  a 
larger  class,  probably,  who  regard  baptized  infants  only 
as  safe  from  the  pains  of  endless  misery  ;  but  nearly  all 
Christendom  hope  for  the  ' salvation  of  all  infants,'  while 
many  fear  in  regard  to  the  future  welfare  of  those  who, 
having  'passed  the  line  of  accountability,'  die  out  of  the 
pale  of  the  visible  church. 

"  According  to  this  view,  where  is  the  parent  that  can 
desire  that  children  should  survive  that  period  ?  And  is 
it  so,  that  God  has  suspended  the  eternal  weal  or  woe  of 


SECOND   MINISTKY   IN  LEBANON.  101 

his  children  on  '  life's  feeble  strings '  ?  Does  he  take 
some  to  himself  before  that  period,  lest,  if  allowed  to  live 
longer,  they  might  be  lost  ?  And  does  he  spare  others, 
that  they  MAY  run  the  infinite  risk  ?  Does  he  know, 
when  he  spares  the  life  of  a  child  beyond  that  point  of 
time,  that  it  will  be  lost  ?  If  so,  is  it  a  mercy  to  the 
child  to  be  thus  spared  ?  These  are  a  few  of  the  many 
queries  and  thoughts  which  present  themselves  to  the 
mind  as  it  dwells  on  the  destiny  of  our  race.  And  those 
parents  whose  religious  creed  tells  them  that  all  who  die 
in  infancy  are  sure  of  a  happy  endless  life,  and  that  all 
who  survive  that  period  are  in  imminent  danger  of  end 
less  suffering,  can  hardly  be  expected  to  thank  God  for 
sparing  the  lives  of  their  offspring  till  they  grow  to  ma 
turity.  Do  such  parents  ever  realize  at  what  a  tremen 
dous  risk  human  life  is  prolonged  ?  Do  they  enjoy  the 
society  of  their  children,  when  reflecting  upon  that  end 
less  hell  which  their  faith  tells  them  those  children  are 
every  moment  in  danger  of  being  doomed  to  endure? 
No,  they  cannot.  And  all  that  keeps  such  believers 
from  constant  anguish  of  spirit,  in  view  of  such  danger, 
is  the  fact  that  they  do  not  believe  that  themselves,  or  any 
of  their  dear  friends,  will  be  thus  doomed.  This  hope  for 
their  friends  saves  them  from  despair.  It  is  happy  for 
the  world  that  it  is  so ;  that  all  have  enough  of  hope 
in  the  mercy  of  God  for  themselves  and  their  friends,  to 
save  them  from  the  legitimate  influence  of  full  faith  in 
any  of  the  creeds  of  partialism.  But  that  strange  selfish 
ness  and  Phariseeism  which  are  evinced  by  many  pro- 
9* 


102  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

fessors  of  the  benevolent  religion  of  Christ,  and  -which 
deny  to  others  the  grace  of  God  on  which  they  must  de 
pend,  are  a  disgrace  to  the  Christian  name  and  profession, 
and  should  be  rebuked  by  all  -who  can  speak  a  word  or 
wield  a  pen  in  favor  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord. 

"  Let  parents  all  learn  that  God  is  indeed  the  FATHER, 
the  UNIVERSAL  FATHER,  and  they  will  trust  and  obey 
him  with  their  whole  hearts.  The  sentiment,  thus  taught, 
will  favorably  affect  their  whole  household." 

In  June,  1837,  the  New  Hampshire  Convention  of 
Universalists  held  its  annual  session  at  Lebanon.  It 
was  one  of  the  most  agreeable  and  profitable  meetings 
the  fraternity  had  ever  enjoyed  in  the  state.  Five  dis 
courses  were  preached.  A  conference  meeting  was  held 
on  Wednesday  evening,  and  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  attended  to  on  Thursday.  The  sermons  and  ex 
hortations  were  soundly  doctrinal  and  practical,  and  the 
services  all  deeply  devotional.  The  only  regret  mani 
fested  was,  that  the  meeting  closed  so  soon.  The  words 
of  the  Psalm  were  then  and  there  in  all  their  force  ap 
preciated,  "Behold  how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is  for 
brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity  ! "  The  closing 
addresses  were  by  Rev.  Russell  Streeter,  in  which 
references  were  made  to  the  discourses  during  the  con 
vention,  in  a  manner  which  we  have  never  since  known 
equalled  on  a  similar  occasion  by  any  speaker.  His  al 
lusion  to  the  youthful  Hanscom,  then  giving  evidence,  in 
declining  health,  that  his  brief  but  faithful  ministry  on 


SECOND  MINISTRY  IN  LEBANON.  103 

earth  might  soon  end,  was  touching  in  the  extreme.  No 
dry  eye  was  there,  and  no  heart  that  was  not  full  and 
overflowing.  The  circular  was  written  by  the  beloved 
Hanscom.  A  part  of  it  we  would  preserve  in  these 
pages : 

"  The  business  of  our  council  was  conducted  in  the 
utmost  harmony  and  order.  The  rankling  of  envy,  the 
voice  of  discord,  and  the  spirit  of  angry  disputation, 
found  no  abiding  place  in  our  midst ;  —  for  the  Gospel 
was  there,  filling  every  heart  with  its  holy  and  sanctify 
ing  influence.  We  met  in  peace,  we  dwelt  together  in 
unity,  we  parted  in  love.  And  the  exercises  of  the  sanc 
tuary  !  We  must  speak  of  them ;  but  what  shall  we 
say  ?  It  would  require  the  pen  of  an  angel  to  describe 
their  lofty  and  devout  character,  and  the  rapturous  joy 
which  they  inspired.  The  smiles  of  heaven's  love  rested 
upon  us  without  measure.  All  nature  seemed  to  bend 
in  silent  adoration  without  —  while  within  the  heart  was 
made  glad  by  the  song  of  praise,  the  voice  of  prayer, 
and  the  message  of  salvation.  The  eager  look,  the 
moistened  eye,  and  the  gladdening  smile,  told  that  to 
every  believer  it  was  good  to  be  there.  The  same  sacred 
awe  and  filial  reverence  seemed  to  pervade  the  audience 
that  must  have  thrilled  the  bosom  of  Elijah  when  the 
'  still  small  voice '  whispered  that  God  was  present.  The 
morning  services  of  the  last  day  were  concluded  with  the 
celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper ;  at  which  time  from 
one  to  two  hundred  believers  surrounded  the  table  of  the 
Redeemer,  to  commemorate  his  sufferings  and  death.  It 


104  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

was  a  most  hallowed  scene.  "We  hail  this  service  as  the 
dawn  of  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  our  cause.  It  is 
giving  the  sanction  of  one  of  our  most  popular  bodies  to 
a  rite  which  every  Christian  must  hold  sacred  ;  present 
ing  as  it  does  a  standing  proof  of  the  divine  authenticity 
of  our  holy  religion.  It  will  send  abroad  an  impression 
among  our  wide-spread  fraternity,  which  cannot  but  ex 
ert  a  highly  salutary  influence  upon  the  cause  of  primi 
tive  Christianity.  We  most  ardently  hope  that  the 
example  which  our  convention  has  presented,  and  the 
measures  which  it  has  taken  upon  this  subject,  may  serve 
to  call  the  attention  of  the  brotherhood  generally  to  those 
things  which  tend  to  promote  the  truth,  to  exalt  man,  and 
to  glorify  God." 

To  this  meeting  Mr.  Moore  gave  the  welcome  of  the 
spirit,  and  his  kind  and  constant  attention.  His  people, 
too,  were  equally  solicitous  with  him  for  the  comfort  of 
those  who  attended  it. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Cheshire  County  Association, 
in  Westmoreland,  N.  H.,  in  September  of  the  same  year, 
Mr.  Moore  was  present,  and  preached  the  concluding 
discourse  to  a  large  and  attentive  audience.  The  same 
month  he  attended  the  Connecticut  River  Association, 
at  Newport.  The  new  meeting-house  erected  by  the 
Universalists  in  this  place  was  dedicated  on  the  morning 
of  the  first  day  of  the  association.  Mr.  Moore  preached 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  first  day,  and  gave  the  closing 
address  on  the  last  day  of  the  meeting.  He  was  also 
present  at  the  meeting  of  the  Grafton  Association,  in  Or- 


SECOND  MINISTRY  IN  LEBANON.  105 

ford,  N.  H.j  on  the  first  Wednesday  in  October  of  the 
same  year. 

During  the  year  1838  he  is  steadily  and  constantly 
engaged  in  the  work  which,  above  all  others,  is  nearest 
his  heart.  In  a  letter  to  a  friend  he  writes  :  "  While  I 
remain  here,  or  anywhere  this  side  heaven,  I  will  try 
to  be  useful  in  my  calling.  I  would  not  exchange  my 
profession  for  an  earthly  throne.  No!  I  love  the  Gospel; 
I  love  to  preach  it ;  and,  above  all,  I  love  to  see  the 
people  receive  it  in  the  love  of  it,  and  practise  it  accord 
ingly."  He  is  not  discouraged  because  of  the  unpopu 
larity  of  this  whole  Gospel  which  he  has  espoused ;  aor 
because  of  the  greatness  of  the  work  before  him.  Be 
lieving  that  it  is  for  "  Paul  to  plant,  and  for  Apollos  to 
water,  but  that  God  giveth  the  increase,"  he  has  faith 
that  this  promised  increase  will  appear  to  other  eyes,  if 
not  to  those  who  sow  the  seed  ;  that  "  the  little  one  shall 
become  a  thousand,  the  strong  one  a  great  nation  ;  "  that 
the  leaven  of  truth  by  the  mysterious  heavenly  power 
shall  operate,  until  this  whole  humanity  is  leavened. 

He  was  gratified  this  year  by  an  accession  to  the  min 
istry  in  his  own  place, — that  of  Mr.  H.  M.  Nichols,  who 
had  for  some  time  been  a  very  popular  teacher  of  the 
Lebanon  Academy.  Mr.  N.  was  afterwards  minister 
of  the  Universalist  society  in  West  Haverhill,  Mass. 
He  was  ordained  there  in  August,  1840,  and  was  pastor 
of  the  society  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  took 
place  September  16,  1842.  He  was  one  of  the  truly 
worthy  and  beloved.  His  life  verified  the  inscription 


106  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOOEE. 

afterwards  placed  by  his  friends  upon  his  grave-stone, 
"He  walked  with  God." 

In  the  early  part  of  this  year,  he  records  with  deep 
sorrow,  in  his  journal,  the  departure  by  death  of  two 
highly-esteemed  friends*  in  advanced  life,  with  whom  he 
had  been  on  terms  of  happiest  fraternal  intercourse  for 
many  years.  He  takes  pleasure  in  the  reflection  that 
they  were  firm  and  devoted  friends  of  that  great  truth 
which  he  so  much  prized,  and  in  whose  hopes  for  time 
and  for  eternity  they  had  so  often  together  rejoiced. 

His  ministry  in  Hanover  had  been  productive  of  much 
religious  inquiry,  and  of  new  accessions  to  the  company 
of  those  there  who  believed  in  God  as  the  loving  Father 
of  all  men.  Some  members  of  other  churches  became 
avowed  and  happy  advocates  of  Universalism.  Xo  word 
of  complaint  could  be  brought  against  them,  only  that 
their  faith  had  become  enlarged.  The  churches  with 
which  they  were  connected  could  not  conscientiously  pre 
fer  such  charges  against  them  as  would  justify  excommu 
nication  ;  and  in  one  instance  it  was  proposed  by  the 
church  that  the  converts  to  the  new  faith  should  by 
their  own  act  formally  withdraw  from  the  fellowship  of 
the  brethren  with  whom  they  had  hitherto  been  united 
in  Christian  covenant.  This  course  called  forth  from 
Mr.  Moore  some  very  plain  yet  candid  strictures,  which 
were  given  to  the  public  through  one  of  our  denomina 
tional  journals. 

*  Hon.  Elijah  Miller,  of  Hanover,  and  Jabez  Huntington,  Esq.,  of 
Lebanon. 


SECOND   MINISTRY  IN   LEBANON.  107 

On  his  birth-day  completing  his  forty-first  year,  he 
remarks  :  "I  am  more  and  more  confirmed  in  the  opinion 
that  '  it  is  not  in  man  that  walketh  to  direct  his  steps ; ' 
but  that  there  is  a  mysterious  hand  that  guides  and  im 
perceptibly  controls  all  creatures  and  events  in  mercy.  I 
•would  renewedly  dedicate  myself  and  all  my  powers  to 
him." 

Two  deaths  of  near  kindred,  a  mother  and  brother, 
took  place  within  two  weeks  of  each  other,  in  the  spring 
time  of  this  year.  It  was  one  of  the  hardest  of  trials  for 
the  son  and  brother  to  pass  through  these  scenes,  in  his 
nearness  to  the  sick,  and  his  watchful  care  of  them. 
But, 

"  sustained  and  soothed 


By  an  unfaltering  trust  " 

in  one  whose  mercy  and  strength  are  adequate  to  the 
wants  of  all  his  creatures,  the  departed  and  surviving 
ones  were  blest.  The  preacher  is  led  to  pray  that  he 
may  not  be  left  in  darkness  through  these  scenes, —  dark 
ness  such  as  a  limited  or  weak  faith  brings  upon  the 
soul,  —  but  that  the  cheering  smiles  of  the  Father  may 
give  him  new  life.  And  his  prayer  is  answered. 

His  discourse  on  Fast-day  of  this  year  was  a  peculiar 
one.  It  was  an  extempore  effort,  his  text  being  this  ex 
tract  from  the  governor's  "  proclamation  :  "  "  That  we 
may  obtain  forgiveness  of  our  sins,  and  a  happy  issue 
from  all  our  afflictions."  The  ground  of  the  discourse 
was,  that  sin  is  an  infringement  of  any  pf  God's  laws  ; 


108  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOOKE. 

that  the  only  way  by  -which  to  obtain  forgiveness  is  to 
cease  to  violate  these  laws ;  and  that  thus  deliverance 
from  afflictions  will  be  effected.  "  Let  the  wicked  forsake 
his  ways,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his  deeds ;  and  let 
them  turn  unto  the  Lord,  who  will  have  mercy,  and  to 
our  God,  for  he  will  abundantly  pardon."  Affliction  is 
the  doom  of  transgressors — of  individuals,  communities, 
nations.  While  truth  declares,  "  Great  peace  have  they 
who  love  (obey)  God's  law,  and  nothing  shall  offend 
them,"  universal  blessing  shall  come  to  man  only  through 
universal  obedience. 

In  the  beginning  of  this  year  we  find  him  giving  his 
epistolary  congratulations  to  a  young  friend  *  who  had 
gone  out  from  the  fold  in  Lebanon,  and  had  now  given 
indications  that  he  himself  was  to  become  a  shepherd  of 
others,  to  lead  them  into  the  way  of  truth  and  righteous 
ness.  The  letter  of  the  pastor  to  his  young  friend  is 
replete  with  judicious  counsel  and  Christian  love.  "  Strive 
to  be  a  good  and  useful  minister,"  he  says,  "  and  then 
you  will  be  a  great  one." 

As  a  sample  of  certain  theological  expositions  to  which 
the  people  within  the  limits  of  Mr.  Moore's  field  of  labor 
were  often  subject,  he  mentions  one  instance,  that  of  a 
minister  of  the  Methodist  fraternity,  at  the  funeral  of  a 
friend  and  neighbor,  which  Mr.  Moore  attended.  The 
preacher's  text  was  Luke  20  :  "  They  that  shall  be  ac 
counted  worthy  to  obtain  that  world  and  the  resurrection 

*  C.  H.  Fay. 


SECOND   MINISTRY  IN  LEBANON.  109 

of  the  dead,"  etc.  The  preacher  predicated  the  worthi 
ness  on  works  ;  then  on  faith  ;  then  on  grace.  And,  in 
attempting  to  show  that  some  were  not  and  would  not  be 
found  worthy,  he  said  the  law  required  all  to  love  God 
supremely,  and  one  another  as  themselves ;  that  this  law 
would  not  in  the  least  abate  its  demands  upon  us.  And 
then  he  said  (truly)  that  Christ  came  to  ^fulfil  this  law, 
and  would  do  it ;  which,  in  effect,  proves  that  all  will 
love  God  supremely,  and  their  neighbors  as  themselves ; 
which  state  of  mind,  as  the  preacher  had  at  first  stated, 
constitutes  the  worthiness  of  which  the  text  speaks.  ' '  So, ' ' 
said  Mr.  Moore,  "he  run  on  to  the  very  rock  of  Univer- 
salism,  which  he  seemed  so  very  desirous  of  avoiding.  If 
the  doctrine  of  universal  and  effectual  salvation  by  grace 
be  not  true,  what  will  become  of  all  the  sects  ?  " 

Some  time  in  May,  he  was  called  to  Sharon,  Vt,  to 
attend  the  funeral  of  an  aged  lady  there.  At  the  close 
of  the  services,  —  held  in  the  Congregationalist  meeting 
house,  —  while  Mr.  Moore  was  addressing  the  audience, 
he  remarked  that  they  were  all  the  objects  of  God's  love; 
that  he  knew  no  difference,  as  he  loved  all  his  works. 
The  Congregationalist  clergyman,  being  present,  said,  in 
a  low  voice,  but  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  all,  "  It  is 
false !  "  Mr.  Moore  gave  no  special  attention  to  the 
remark,  otherwise  than  to  repeat  in  substance  what  he 
had  previously  said.  Many  of  his  own  people  were  deeply 
mortified  at  the  inconsiderate  and  uncivil  conduct  of  their 
minister.  "The  Lord  forgive  him,"  was  the  expressed 
wish  of  our  brother,  "and,  in  due  time,  open  his  eyes  to 
10 


110  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

the  light  of  eternal  truth,  and  his  heart  to  the  enjoyment 
of  God's  impartial  love." 

In  the  summer  and  autumn  of  this  year  Mr.  Moore  at 
tended  the  Green  Mountain  Association,  at  Hartland,  Vt. ; 
the  New  Hampshire  Convention,  at  Walpole,  N.  H. ; 
journeyed  to  Saratoga  and  Schenectady ;  visited  Danvers, 
and  attended  the  U.  S.  Convention  at  Maiden  and  Boston, 
Mass.,  and  the  removal,  at  that  time,  of  the  remains  of 
Rev.  John  Murray  to  Mt.  Auburn.  He  was  present  at 
the  Grafton  Association,  in  Wentworth,  N.  H. ;  and 
preached  the  sermon  on  the  dedication  of  the  new  Uni- 
versalist  meeting-house  at  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt.  He  also 
attended  a  conference  at  Newport,  N.  H.,  and  another 
at  Hartford,  Vt.  He  took  much  interest,  this  year,  in 
behalf  of  the  proposed  Asylum  for  the  Insane  in  New 
Hampshire,  and  presented  the  claims  of  such  an  insti 
tution  upon  the  people  of  that  state  in  a  very  earnest 
discourse  to  his  congregation. 

In  January,  1839,  Mr.  Moore  was  present  at  the  ded 
ication  of  the  Universalist  meeting-house  in  Nashua, 
N.  H.  He  preached  in  this  place  on  the  succeeding  Sun 
day,  and  soon  afterward  received  an  invitation  to  become 
minister  of  the  society  there,  but  was  not  then  ready  to 
accept  it.  While  absent  from  home,  he  visited  Massa 
chusetts,  attended  the  Middlesex  Conference  at  Stoneham, 
and  preached  there. 

He  writes  on  his  birth-day,  this  year :  "I  have  suc 
ceeded  in  my  ministerial  course  beyond  my  most  san 
guine  expectations  ;  for  which  I  thank  God,  my  Father. 


SECOND   MINISTRY   IN   LEBANON.  Ill 

I  would  at  this  period  dedicate  my  powers  anew  to  the 
great  cause  of  his  truth ;  and  may  He  guide  me  in  the 
path  of  duty.  What  is  before  me  for  the  year  to  come, 
should  life  be  prolonged,  I  am  not  anxious  to  know ;  be 
lieving  that  he  who  controls  all  things  will  bring  that 
to  pass  which  is  best  fpr  me  and  all  concerned.  My 
prayer  is,  that  I  may  be  preserved  in  the  good  and  right 
way,  trusting  in  Divine  Grace.  Thy  will,  0  God,  be 
done  !  "  In  this  month  (February)  he  attended  a  con 
ference  at  Claremont,  N.  H.,  and  the  installation  of  the 
Rev.  J.  Nichols  as  pastor  of  the  society  there.  He  gave 
the  Charge  to  the  pastor,  and  the  Address  to  the  Society, 
and  preached  twice  during  the  conference.  In  the  same 
month,  too,  he  preached,  by  invitation,  two  Sundays  in 
Woonsocket,  R.  I. 

In  June  he  attended  the  New  Hampshire  Convention, 
at  Nashua,  and  in  August  the  Vermont  Convention,  at 
Bethel.  At  the  last-named  meeting  he  preached  the 
concluding  discourse. 

In  September  he  journeyed  by  chaise,  with  his  com 
panion,  across  New  Hampshire  to  Portland,  Me.,  to 
attend  the  United  States  Convention  in  that  city.  He 
had  been  appointed  to  deliver  the  occasional  discourse ; 
and  ably  and  faithfully  was  this  duty  performed  by  him. 
His  text  was,  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  Joshua —  "  There 
remaineth  yet  very  much  land  to  be  possessed."  *  The 
condition  and  duty  of  the  religious  fraternity  to  which  he 
belonged,  were  the  chief  themes  of  the  cliscourse.  He 

*  Joshua  13  : 1. 


112  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

congratulated  the  denomination  on  its  past  success,  in  the 
face  of  such  obstacles  as  it  had  been  called  to  meet. 
"Standing  as  we  do,"  said  he,  "on  the  lofty  eminence 
to  which  God,  by  the  power  of  his  truth  and  grace,  has 
brought  us,  with  what  inexpressible  joy  and  gratitude  do 
we  review  the  past !  some  of  you  by  your  own  recol 
lections  ;  others  of  us.  by  the  light  of  history ;  or  now 
and  then  by  listening  with  intense  interest  to  the  wonders 
and  struggles  of  those  days,  as  the  story  is  related  to  us 
by  the  trembling  voice  and  tearful  eye  of  some  venerable 
patriarch,  who  has  been  permitted  on  earth  to  witness  the 
luxuriant  growth  of  that  '  least  of  all  seeds,'  till  it  has 
become  a  great  tree,  spreading  its  branches  as  from  the 
centre  to  the  circumference,  whose  refreshing  shade  and 
life-giving  fruit  is  being  more  eagerly  and  generally 
sought  than  at  any  former  period  —  and  which  will  aiford 
enough  for  all,  as  its  roots  are  constantly  watered  by  the 
river  of  God,  which  is  full  of  water. 

****** 
"When  we  converse  with  the  fathers  in  our  Israel 
(but  few  of  whom  are  now  left),  they  inform  us  that 
their  most  sanguine  anticipations  have  been  more  than 
realized ;  that  they  have  lived  to  see  their  posterity  pos 
sess  vastly  more  of  '  that  land  flowing  with  milk  and 
honey '  than  they  imagined  would  be  their  happy  lot  on 
earth  ;  they  tell  us  how  the  mighty  sons  of  Anak,  in  the 
form  of  religious  error,  have  been  slain  by  the  sword  of 
the  spirit ;  that  the  Goliahs  of  superstition  and  bigotry, 
who  defied  the  truth  of  the  living  God,  have  fallen  before 


SECOND  MINISTRY   IN  LEBANON.  113 

the  noiseless  march  of  those  who  were  clad  in  the  simple 
habiliments  of  unadorned  truth  and  love  ;  till  many  of 
the  traditions  of  the  fathers,  which  confined  the  blessings 
of  Gospel  salvation  to  a  few  of  our  race,  and  many  of  the 
middle  walls  of  partition,  which .  kept  separate  those  who 
should  occupy  one  fold,  because  they  belong  to  one  shep 
herd,  have  been  swept  away  by  the  diffusion  of  that  truth 
which  maketh  free  indeed." 

He  then  notices  the  means  used  in  the  past  for  the 
furtherance  of  the  truth,  —  an  exhibition  and  practical 
application  of  it;  mentions  the  auxiliaries  now  at  our 
disposal  for  this  same  work ;  the  need  of  vigilance  in  our 
course,  specially  a  greater  caution  in  reference  to  the 
admission  of  candidates  into  the  ministry;  and,  finally, 
constant  attention  and  devotedness  to  that  spiritual  cul 
ture  so  essential  to  the  true  growth  of  all  Christians.  It 
is  in  our  holy  faith  that  the  highest  incentives  to  true 
spiritual  life  are  seen.  The  conclusion  of  the  discourse 
is  as  follows : 

"  Such  is  the  hold  which  the  truth,  in  regard  to  the 
nature,  wants,  and  destiny,  of  universal  man,  already  has 
on  the  public  mind,  that  its  progress  can  no  more  be 
prevented,  than  a  mighty  river  can  be  stayed  in  its  course 
to  the  ocean.  In  noting  the  state  of  the  religious  world, 
and  judging  of  the  progress  of  liberal  and  truly  Gospel 
or  Christian  sentiments  by  the  tenacity  with  which  the 
different  sects  hold  their  respective  names,  we  shall  be 
deceived  as  to  the  real  state  of  the  case.  The  leaven  of 
the  Gospel  has  been  doing  its  silent,  though  efficient 
10* 


114  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOOEE. 

work,  forming,  as  it  does,  an  under  current,  which  is 
steadily  bearing  the  Christian  world  onward  to  the  broad 
expanse  of  waters,  even  to  '  a  place  of  broad  rivers  and 
streams  ; '  —  and  this  gently-swelling  tide  of  religious  and 
intellectual  affairs  must. continue  to  rail  on,  till  all  shall 
reach  the  ocean  of  boundless  love,  and  party  names  be 
lost  in  that  spirit  which  will  enable  every  knee  reverently 
to  bow  to  that  worthy  name  which  is  above  every  name, 
and  induce  every  tongue  joyfully  to  confess  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father. 

"  Brethren,  while  there  remaineth  a  single  rood  of 
land  to  be  possessed,  or  a  human  soul  under  the  influ 
ence  of  the  tyrannizing  spirit  of  error,  while  there  is  to  be 
seen  in  the  vineyard  of  our  Lord  and  Master  a  single 
'  plant  which  his  heavenly  Father  hath  not  planted,' 
may  we  go  forth  in  the  almightiness  of  that  truth  which 
will  destroy  all  error,  and  in  the  spirit  of  that  grace 
which  shall  superabound  sin,  to  the  work  of  evangelizing 
the  world.  And  that  we  may  be  successful  in  the  dis 
semination  of  Gospel  truth,  to  the  destruction  of  false 
doctrines  and  sin,  may  we  study  to  have  our  whole  souls 
more  and  more  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  the  doctrine 
which  we  preach,  that  its  practical  influences  may  shine 
forth  in  our  whole  deportment ;  that  others,  seeing  our 
good  works,  as  well  as  hearing  us  '  speak  the  words  which 
become  sound  doctrine,'  may  be  induced  to  glorify  Him 
who  is  God  over  all,  and  forever  blessed.  May  no  root 
of  bitterness  be  allowed  to  spring  up  among  us,  and  turn 
us  aside  from  the  work  of  our  calling ;  but  may  we  let 


SECOND  MINISTRY   IN  LEBANON.  115 

brotherly  love  continue,  that  the  pleasure  of  the  Lord  may 
continue  to  prosper  in  our  hands,  and  each  revolving 
year  show  that  the  light  of  science,  and  the  spirit  of  the 
Gospel,  are  causing  the  race  of  man  to  extend  their  pos 
sessions,  and  to  cultivate  the  soil  of  human  nature,  that 
fruit  in  abundance  may  be  produced,  to  the  glory  of 
God,  and  to  the  honor  and  happiness  of  man.  And  may 
'  God  cause  us  always  to  triumph  in  Christ,  making 
manifest  the  savor  of  his  knowledge  by  us  in  every  place,' 
and  finally  give  us,  and  all  for  whomsoever  Jesus  tasted 
death,  endless  life  in  heaven.  AMEN." 

Towards  the  close  of  this  year,  —  the  last  one  of  the 
five  for  which  he  had  engaged  as  pastor  in  Lebanon,  — 
Mr.  Moore  had  concluded  to  seek  a  new  field  of  ministerial 
labor.  This  resolve  had  not  been  made  without  much 
deliberation.  The  terms  on  which  he  had  expressed  a 
willingness  to  remain  in  his  place  not  being  met  with 
that  ease  and  readiness  which  he  deemed  necessary  to  a 
hearty  and  effectual  cooperation  of  minister  and  people, 
he  felt  at  liberty  to  consult  conscience  as  to  a  change  of 
place.  He  did  not  wish  to  ask  of  any  people  more  than 
they  could  conveniently  and  cheerfully  bestow.  His 
motives  in  all  his  ministerial  changes  were  always  liberal 
and  pure.  They  were  in  this  instance. 

In  October  of  this  year  he  attended  the  Grafton  As 
sociation,  at  Hanover.  The  meeting  was  a  spirited  one. 
It  was  held  in  a  large  hall.  The  Congregational  church 
had  been  asked  for,  but  could  not  be  obtained  for  the 
meeting,  although  Universalists  were  proprietors  in  the 


116  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

house.  Six  sermons  were  preached  on  the  occasion. 
Some  days  afterwards,  Mr.  Moore  learned  that  certain 
remarks  made  by  him  had  given  offence  to  some  of  the 
Hanover  people.  The  statement  most  objectionable  was, 
that  in  less  than  half  a  century  to  come  our  successors 
would,  in  all  probability,  be  as  astonished  that  the  dogma 
of  endless  punishment  was  ever  held  by  their  fathers, 
even  as  we  are  now  that  our  ancestors  were  serious  be 
lievers  in  the  witchcraft  delusion.  A  strong  word,  then, 
to  speak  on  that  ground,  where  the  influence  of  one  of 
the  principal  literary  institutions  in  the  land  was  given 
to  the  support  of  this  doctrine.  But  the  time  is  nearer 
now  than  it  was  then,  when  upon  that  very  ground,  as 
well  as  elsewhere,  this  theological  error  will  lose  its  hold 
upon  the  public  mind.  Since  that  utterance  in  Hanover, 
less  than  twenty  years  ago,  what  changes  have  been 
going  on  in  our  churches  and  theological  seminaries  and 
colleges  !  —  what  indications  of  the  progress  of  religious 
thought — of  higher  views  of  the  Divine  administration  — 
of  man,  his  work,  and  destiny  !  Of  this  fact  we  have  the 
acknowledgment,  as  in  the  language  of  Dr.  Pond,  of  the 
Theological  Seminary  at  Bangor  :  "  Though  the  evan 
gelical  churches  of  our  country  are  not  Unitarians, 
S  \yedenborgians,  or  Universalists,  —  though  they  retain  in 
their  creeds  most  of  the  great  and  fundamental  doctrines 
of  the  Gospel,  —  still,  the  perverse  explanations  which  er- 
rorists  are  accustomed  to  put  upon  many  parts  of  the  Bible 
have  become  so  common  of  late,  our  moral  atmosphere 
has  become  so  impregnated  with  them,  that  a  degree  of 


SECOND  MINISTRY   IN  LEBANON.  117 

scepticism  has  been  introduced  -which  goes  to  turn  the 
edge  and  blunt  the  point  of  that  instrument,  which  in 
the  hand  of  the  Spirit  is  quick  and  powerful,  but  without 
which  he  never  operates.  It  has  come  to  that,  that  when 
the  doctrines  of  Divine  sovereignty,  of  total  depravity, 
of  the  consequent  necessity  of  regeneration,  of  a  general 
judgment,  and  of  the  endless  punishment  of  the  wicked, 
are  plainly  preached,  and  the  most  positive  language  of 
Scripture  is  quoted  in  proof  of  them,  there  are  not  a  few 
in  our  congregations  who  are  ready  to  say,  '  All  this  may 
be  so,  or  may  not  be  so;  there  are  different  opinions  in 
regard  to  these  points ;  these  passages  of  Scripture  are 
variously  interpreted;  and  who  can  tell  how  much  or 
how  little  is  to  be  depended  on  ?  " 

We  cannot  regard  the  change  here  mentioned  with  that 
regret  which  might  have  been  in  the  mind  of  the  writer 
of  this  acknowledgment.  We  are  sorry  for  the  scepticism 
which  error  helps  to  form,  but  have  no  fears  that,  amid  all 
the  transitions  through  which  the  church  passes,  God's 
truth  will  be  lost.  That  will  abide.  So  our  preacher 
believed,  when  he  uttered  the  prediction  at  Hanover. 

On  the  31st  of  this  month  Mr.  Moore  preached  the 
sermon  at  the  dedication  of  the  new  Universalist  meeting 
house  in  Sutton,  N.  H.  In  November  he  journeyed  into 
Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and  Connecticut,  preach 
ing  at  Marblehead  two  Sundays,  and  at  Hartford  one. 
Sunday,  December  1st,  he  notes  as  the  fourteenth  anni 
versary  of  his  ministerial  life.  "  During  all  these  years 
I  have  been  able  to  preach  on  the  return  of  each  Sunday ; 


118  MEMOIR  OF   JOHN   MOOEE. 

and  novr  I  feel  the  same  desire  to  promote  the  Christian 
cause  which  first  led  me  forth  from  the  peaceful  and 
happy  employment  of  the  husbandman,  to  the  more  per 
plexing  duties  of  public  life.  I  have  never  for  a  moment 
regretted  that  I  made  the  change.  May  that  same  love 
of  truth,  and  desire  for  its  promotion,  which  then  inspired 
me  with  zeal,  still  glow  in  my  heart !  " 

An  invitation  had  been  extended  to  him  from  Hartford, 
Conn.,  to  remove  to  that  city,  and  take  charge  of  the 
Universalist  society  there.  He  concluded  to  accept  the 
proposal,  and  made  his  preparations  accordingly.  In 
consequence  of  this  decision,  he  gave  answers  to  one  or 
two  other  societies  *  that  had  invited  him  to  take  up  his 
abode  with  them.  He  closed  his  engagements  with  the 
society  in  Hanover  on  the  second,  and  in  Lebanon  on  the 
fourth  Sunday  in  December.  Of  the  last  day  in  Lebanon 
he  says:  " I  found  that  my  attachment  to  the  society 
was  greater  than  I  had  supposed.  May  the  God  of  all 
grace  build  them  up  in  the  most  holy  faith,  and  finally 
bring  us  all  where  partings  are  no  more ! "  He  had 
preached  in  Lebanon  most  of  the  time  since  November, 
1826. 

A  minister  in  Illinois,  Rev.  A.  Pingree,  in  a  public 
communication  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Moore,  thus  speaks 
in  reference  to  his  Lebanon  ministry : 

"I  still  retain,  and  probably  always  shall,  the  deep 
and  agreeable  impression  made  in  my  heart  when  first  I 
heard  him  preach,  in  Hingham,  Mass.  It  was  there  I 

*  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  and  Marblehead,  Mass. 


SECOND   MINISTRY   IN  LEBANON.  119 

first  saw  him.  It  was  there  I  first  formed  with  him  a 
personal  acquaintance.  But  his  endearment  to  me  has 
heen  increased  from  the  fact  that  his  earliest  labors  in 
the  administration  of  the  Gospel  were  in  Lebanon,  N. 
H.,  only  eight  miles  from  Plainfield,  my  native  place; 
but  more  especially  for  the  durable  effect,  favorable  to 
Universalism,  produced  by  his  life  and  preaching  upon 
the  hearts  of  my  parents,  as  particularly  described  by 
them.  Every  sentence  and  sermon  uttered  by  him  in 
defence  of  the  doctrine  of  God's  impartial  grace  went  to 
them,  like  almighty  hammer  applied  to  a  wedge,  entering 
deeper  and  deeper  at  every  blow,  cleaving  asunder  their 
hearts,  hitherto  hard-bound  by  another  creed,  but  tender, 
hoping,  and  forgiving,  notwithstanding.  In  1838  they 
emigrated  from  New  Hampshire  to  this  place.  But  they 
are  not  here.  They  have  gone  to  the  world  of  spirits. 
I  deeply  mourn  their  loss.  But  I  highly  rejoice  at  the 
certainty  that  they  died  in  the  faith  of  a  full  salvation. 
Doubtless  Mr.  Moore,  by  the  help  of  God,  did  much 
towards  bringing  about  this  happy  result." 


CHAPTER   VI. 

MINISTRY   IN    HARTFORD. 

THE  first  preaching  of  distinctive  Universalism  in 
Hartford  was  in  1796,  by  Rev.  Elhanan  Winchester,  who 
finished  his  earthly  course  here  in  April,  the  next  year. 
After  this,  until  1821,  there  was  no  settled  ministry 
of  this  faith  in  the  place.  Then,  Rev.  Richard  Carrique 
became  the  minister  of  a  society  here,  during  whose 
pastorate  a  meeting-house  was  erected,  in  1824.  At  the 
time  of  its  dedication,  Rev.  John  Bisbee  was  installed  pas 
tor  of  the  society.  He  continued  here  about  three  years, 
and  was  succeeded,  in  1827,  by  Rev.  Menzies  Rayner; 
and  he,  in  1832,  by  Rev.  M.  H.  Smith,  whose  ministry 
closed  in  1835  ;  after  which  the  society  was  destitute  of  a 
pastor  for  nearly  a  year.  In  April,  1836,  Rev.  Asher 
Moore  commenced  his  ministry  with  the  society,  and  con 
tinued  it  until  the  spring  of  1839. 

The  ministry  of  Mr.  Moore  (the  subject  of  this  memoir) 
commenced  the  last  Sunday  in  December,  1839.  The 
society  of  which  he  had  come  to  take  the  charge  was 


MINISTRY    IN    HARTFORD.  121 

large  in  numbers,  and  able  to  give  a  good  support  to  their 
minister.  They  had  seen  some  vicissitudes  in  the  past, 
although  they  had  been  favored  generally  with  a  faithful 
ministry.  A  little  time  previous  to  the  coming  of  Mr. 
Moore,  reports  had  been  circulated  by  certain  over-zealous 
ones,  whose  prejudices  against  Universalism  led  them  at 
times  to  be  somewhat  unscrupulous  as  to  the  character  of 
their  testimony  against  it,  that  the  affairs  of  the  society 
were  very  low ;  that  they  had  been  obliged  to  send  away 
their  minister  because  of  their  inability  to  support  him, 
and  that  their  meeting-house  had  been  sold  to  pay  their 
debts.  This  last-named  report  arose  from  the  fact  that 
in  an  advertisement  in  one  of  the  city  papers  it  was  inti 
mated  that  the  pews  in  the  Universalist  church  were  to  be 
sold  at  auction.  The  sale  took  place.  The  pews  were 
sold  to  the  highest  bidder,  for  one  year  from  the  first  day 
of  January,  1840.  The  increased  interest  in  the  society 
at  the  time  caused  the  pews  to  rent  for  several  hundred 
dollars  more  than  they  had  brought  for  many  years. 

Mr.  Moore  arrived  with  his  family  in  Hartford  on 
Tuesday,  December  24th.  The  next  day  being  Christ 
mas,  he  was  called  to  preach  in  the  evening  in  his  church, 
which  had  been  very  tastefully  decorated  with  evergreen 
for  the  occasion,  and  where  he  met  a  very  large  assem 
blage  from  Hartford  and  from  neighboring  towns.  Fifty 
or  sixty  from  the  Universalist  society  in  Middletown  came, 
accompanied  by  their  pastor.  The  preacher  discoursed 
from  that  very  appropriate  Christmas  text,  the  words  of 
the  angels  to  the  shepherds  :  "  Behold,  I  bring  you  glad 
11 


122  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

tidings  of  great  joy,  which  shall  be  unto  all  people."  The 
occasion  was  one  of  much  interest  to  all  present.  A 
gifted  lady  of  the  society  wrote  at  the  time : 

"  Our  good  neighbors,  the  Catholics  and  Episcopalians, 
have,  from  time  immemorial,  monopolized  the  privilege  of 
adorning  their  churches  for  the  celebration  of  Christmas  ; 
but  we  believe  they  have  not  an  inalienable  right  to  the 
aforesaid  privilege,  and,  though  they  may  accuse  us  of 
having  'copied  from  them,'  we  can  say  that  we  improved 
upon  the  original,  and  that  we  should  never  allow  a  false 
pride  to  prevent  our  imitating  the  good  we  see  in  oth 
ers.  Having  the  sanction  of  Holy  Writ,  as  well  as  their 
example,  it  was  accordingly  agreed  that  our  own  church 
should  be  decorated,  and  appropriate  services  performed 
on  the  anniversary  of  our  Saviour's  birth ;  and  the 
manner  in  which  it  was  done  reflects  much  credit  on  the 
taste  which  directed  the  plan,  and  the  skill  which  carried 
it  into  execution.  The  appearance  of  the  whole  was  very 
beautiful  when  the  house  was  brilliantly  lighted  and  the 
doors  thrown  open  on  Christmas  evening.  Tasteful 
wreaths  entwined  the  pillars  and  extended  along  the  front 
of  the  galleries,  which  were  ornamented  with  stars  of 
green  and  gold;  letters  neatly  wrought  with  pine  ex 
tended  round  the  whole,  on  one  side  forming  the  sen 
tence,  '  Behold  I  bring  you  glad  tidings  of  great  joy, 
which  shall  be  to  all  people ;  '  and  on  the  other,  the 
strain  which  angels  sang, '  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest ;  on 
earth  peace  and  good-will  to  men  ; '  and  the  golden  star 
of  Bethlehem  glittered  on  the  front  of  the  pulpit.  A 


MINISTRY    IN    HARTFORD.  123 

dense  crowd  listened,  with  profound  and  silent  attention, 
to  the  soul-thrilling  music,  the  fervent  prayer,  and  excel 
lent  discourse ;  and  we  trust  that  many  went  away  from 
that  joyful  meeting  saying  it  was  good  and  pleasant  to 
have  been  there. 

"My  heart  responds  to  the  sentiment  of  a  favorite 
writer,  who  says  :  '  I  approve  of  set  times  and  seasons  of 
more  than  ordinary  acts  of  devotion,  for  breaking  in  on 
that  habituated  routine  of  life  and  thought,  which  is  so 
apt  to  reduce  our  existence  to  a  kind  of  instinct,  or  even 
sometimes,  and  with  some  minds,  to  a  state  very  little 
superior  to  mere  machinery.'  And  by  whom  should 
Christmas  be  kept  and  remembered  joyfully,  if  not  by 
those  professing  a  faith  in  the  world's  salvation  ?  Surely, 
we  of  all  others  should  commemorate  the  birth  of  Him 
who  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light ;  who  taught 
a  world,  which  had  never  heard  of  heaven,  that  after  the 
dark  sleep  of  death  they  might  hope  for  a  blessed  awak 
ening  ;  and,  instead  of  the  white-robed  priest,  the  pomp 
of  sacrifice,  and  the  strife  of  armies,  established  the  sim 
ple  rites  of  Christianity,  the  religion  of  peace  and  love." 

On  Sunday,  the  29th,  Mr.  Moore  addressed  his  people 
in  the  morning  from  Job  36  :  11,  —  "  If  they  obey  and 
serve  him,  they  shall  spend  their  days  in  prosperity  and 
their  years  in  pleasures."  In  the  afternoon,  from  Acts 
10:  29,  —  "I  ask,  therefore,  for  what  intent  ye  have 
sent  for  me."  The  private  journal  contains  a  few  very 
appropriate  reflections  upon  the  close  of  the  year,  the 
changes  which  time  makes  with  men,  and  the  kindness  of 


124  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

that  Providence  which  hath  its  care  over  all.  On  Sunday 
evening,  January  5th,  he  commenced  in  his  church  a 
series  of  discourses  on  the  Lord's  Prayer,  which  were 
well  received  by  the  hearers.  On  Sunday  evening,  26th, 
he  delivered  the  annual  address  before  the  Universalist 
Female  Relief  Society.  He  listened  to  an  institute  lec 
ture,  about  this  time,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Burgess,  Episcopalian, 
on  the  ' '  Genealogy  of  Nations  and  the  Unity  of  the 
Human  Race,"  which  he  says  "embraced  the  principles 
of  Universalism."  He  bears  the  same  testimony  respect 
ing  a  lecture  which  he  heard,  soon  afterwards,  from  Mr. 
Bancroft,  the  American  historian. 

He  writes,  this  winter,  to  a  young  friend  intending  to 
enter  the  ministry :  "I  hope  you  will  permit  no  obstacle 
to  turn  you  aside  from  the  holy  calling  in  which  you  have 
engaged.  Let  your  whole  mind  be  awake  to  the  great 
subject  of  the  Gospel.  Cultivate  its  spirit.  'Preach  the 
word '  whenever  and  wherever  a  door  shall  be  opened. 
And  if  you  do  not  see  any  door  already  open,  just  go  for 
ward  in  any  place  where  there  is  a  probability  that  good 
may  be  done,  and  open  a  door  yourself.  Others  have 
sowed  where  we  have  reaped.  Let  us  go  forth  scattering 
the  precious  seeds  of  Gospel  truth,  and  we  shall  return 
rejoicing,  bringing  our  sheaves  with  us."  To  another, 
also,  respecting  his  choice  of  business  or  calling  for  life, 
he  writes  :  "I  trust  you  will  be  guided  by  wisdom  in 
this  thing.  Do  not  worry  about  getting  rich  in  a  mo 
ment.  Industry  and  economy  are  requisite  to  health 
and  happiness  during  all  our  lives.  Embrace  every 


MINISTRY    IN    HARTFORD.  125 

opportunity  to  instruct  yourself  in  all  that  can  add  to  - 
your  honor  and  comfort  in,  life.  Take  broad  and  generous 
views  of  the  world  and  its  human  representatives ;  and, 
above  all,  keep  '  a  conscience  void  of  offence  toward  God 
and  men ;  '  and  you  will  be,  in  the  best  sense  of  the 
word,  independent." 

Soon  after  his  coming  to  Hartford,  Mr.  Moore  became 
engaged  as  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Universalist,  a 
weekly  quarto  religious  paper,  published  simultaneously 
at  Middletown  and  Hartford.  He  was  inclined  to  this 
step  that  he  might  add  his  influence  through  this  printed 
sheet  to  his  other  efforts  in  behalf  of  Christian  truth  in 
Connecticut.  His  introductory  editorial  article  appears 
in  the  number  of  that  paper  of  March  21st.  The  con 
clusion  of  the  article  is  characteristic  of  the  writer.  "To 
the  editorial  fraternity,  I  can  embrace  all  I  would  now 
say  in  that  comprehensive  sentence,  '  Let  brotherly  love 
continue ;  '  to  believers  in  the  great  salvation,  I  would 
repeat  the  words  of  our  Divine  Master,  '  Let  your  light 
so  shine  before  men,  that  they,  seeing  your  good  works, 
shall  be  led  to  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven ;' 
to  opponents,  I  say,  '  Come,  now,  and  let  us  reason  to 
gether  ; '  to  unbelievers,  and  those  who  seem  to  ask 
whether  there  is  any  good  in  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  my 
answer  is,  '  Come  and  see  ! ' :  Of  his  society  he  at  this 
time  writes,  that  "  they  appear  to  be  gradually  arousing 
from  their  slumbers,  not  in  consequence  of  any  unusual 
excitement  or  special  exertions,  but  by  the  natural  influence 
of  the  ordinary  services  of  public  religious  worship.  We 
11* 


126  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

concluded,  last  Sunday  evening,  a  series  of  discourses  on 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  which,  have  been  listened  to  by  very 
respectable  audiences,  who  appeared,  by  their  profound 
attention,  to  take  deep  interest  in  the  exposition  of  the 
several  points  of  religious  doctrine  embodied  in  that  short 
prayer."  One  of  his  editorial  articles,  in  the  number  of 
the  paper  of  which  we  have  just  spoken,  is  on  the  sub 
ject  of  temperance,  —  a  topic  very  widely  and  freely 
discussed  in  Hartford  at  that  time,  and  on  which  our 
faithful  minister  was  ready  to  declare  himself  on  all 
proper  occasions.  On  the  23d  of  this  month  he  at 
tended  the  county  temperance  meeting  at  Poquonock, 
and  delivered  the  chief  address  there,  speaking  about  an 
hour  and  forty  minutes  to  a  very  attentive  audience. 

In  the  Universalist  of  April  5th  he  commences  a 
series  of  editorial  articles  addressed  to  the  Universalists 
in  Connecticut.  He  first  speaks  of  the  excellency  of  the 
faith  they  profess ;  of  its  reasonableness,  its  scriptural 
evidences,  its  adaptability  to  human  nature,  and  its  vin 
dication  of  the  character  of  God  ;  he  states,  with  great 
plainness,  what  he  considers  some  of  the  hindrances  to  its 
progress,  and  among  these  a  want  of  true  zeal  on  the 
part  of  those  who  profess  it.  He  speaks  of  the  excuses 
which  some  offer  for  not  doing  more  for  the  cause,  and  of 
the  need  such  ones  have  of  that  wisdom  which  shall 
lead  them  to  see  the  good  which  the  zeal  of  even  a  few 
earnest  Christian  souls  may  accomplish.  It  is  the  duty, 
he  argues,  of  all  sincere  believers  in  Universalism,  if 
there  be  only  a  single  family  of  them  in  any  place,  to  do 


MINISTRY    IN    HAKTFORD.  127 

whatever  they  can  in  the  avowal  and  maintenance  of 
their  faith,  by  books,  periodicals,  and  conversation ;  and 
occasionally  by  preaching,  too,  if  only  a  few  can  be  called 
together  to  hear  the  message  of  truth  in  some  private 
room.  By  such  influences  large  and  flourishing  socie 
ties  have  sprung  up,  results  of  the  well-directed  eiforts 
of  a  single  man.  To  the  objection  that,  if  this  course 
were  taken  to  any  considerable  extent,  it  would  be  the 
means  of  breaking  up  all  societies,  as  there  is  such  a  di 
versity  of  mind  in  reference  to  religious  doctrines,  he 
remarks :  "  This  objection  supposes  that  the  same  reason 
exists  for  this  course  of  procedure,  by  all  the  different 
classes  of  the  partialist  sects,  as  by  Universalists ;  which  is 
by  no  means  the  case.  The  preaching  of  most  or  all  of 
these  other  sects  is  so  nearly  in  agreement  with  each 
other,  especially  as  it  regards  the  final  results  of  God's 
government  over  mortal  beings,  that,  in  our  opinion,  it 
evinces  much  folly  to  maintain  two  or  more  partialist 
societies  where  the  people  can  all  be  accommodated  in 
one.  But  not  so  with  the  Universalist.  There  is  a  broad 
distinction  between  his  views  of  the  results  of  the  Divine 
administration  and  those  of  his  partialist  friends ;  a 
difference  which  admits  not  of  a  reconciliation  ;  a  differ 
ence  compared  with  which  all  the  differences  between 
the  many  partialist  sects  dwindle  to  nothing."  He 
speaks  earnestly  of  the  duty  of  parents  in  bestowing  the 
right  attention  to  the  religious  culture  of  their  children  ; 
of ,  the  right  motives  in  forming  and  seeking  to  maintain 
societies  ;  of  the  importance  of  system  in  doing  the  work 


128  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

of  the  society ;  and  of  the  need,  above  all  things,  of  the 
exhibition  of  the  holy  spirit  of  the  true  faith  on  the  part 
of  its  professors. 

Following  these  articles,  there  appeared  "A  Word  to 
Ministers,"  urging  upon  them  a  true  and  steady  devotion 
to  the  great  interests  of  the  Gospel. 

Sunday,  May  10th,  seemed  to  have  been  a  day  of 
much  enjoyment  with  him.  His  record  of  it  in  his  journal 
ends  with  a  most  expressive  allusion  to  the  wish  of  the 
Psalmist.  "  Sunday  is  the  happiest  day  in  the  week 
with  me.  I  enjoy  the  public  worship  of  God  more 
than  any  other  service  or  work  in  which  I  engage. — 
I  would  dwell  forever  in  the  house  of  the  Lord."  In 
a  letter  to  friend,  about  this  time,  he  writes  :  "  This  is  one 
of  nature's  loveliest  scenes.  The  air  is  pure,  the  sky 
cloudless,  the  grass  forward  as  it  was  with  you  last  year 
at  the  first  of  June  ;  the  foliage  is  nearly  full,  and  the 
apple-trees  are  in  bloom.  If  I  had  opened  my  eyes  for 
the  first  time  on  such  a  world  as  this,  and,  after  taking  a 
broad  survey  of  its  beauties,  had  met  a  tall  figure,  in 
shape  of  a  man,  clad  in  black,  with  a  lengthened  visage, 
and  a  scowl  upon  his  brow,  who  had  discoursed  wildly  on 
'  hell  and  deep  damnation,'  I  should  have  considered  him 
an  anomaly  in  the  creation — a  discordant  note  in  the 
harmony  of  the  universe  !  To  what  object  could  he 
point  me  as  an  illustration  of  his  unnatural  and  libellous 
doctrine?  But  enough  of  this."  The  next  Sunday  is 
mentioned  as  one  of  the  happiest  of  his  life,  although 
full  of  labor  to  him.  He  preached  two  long  sermons, 


MINISTRY   IN   HABTFORD.  129 

attended  the  Bible-class  and  Sabbath-school,  rode  ten 
miles  and  preached  again,  and  returned  the  same  evening, 
much  fatigued. 

A  few  days  afterwards,  intelligence  of  the  death  of 
Rev.  Savillion  W.  Fuller,  of  Philadelphia,  reached  him. 
Mr.  R  had  been  one  of  the  most  faithful  of  ministers  for 
eleven  years  previous  to  his  departure  from  his  earthly 
work,  and  died  in  the  triumphs  of  faith.  He  was,  at  the 
time  of  his  decease,  pastor  of  the  JCallowhill-street  Uni- 
versalist  church,  in  Philadelphia.  This  event  is  made 
the  occasion  of  a  devout  prayer  of  our  brother  that  he  may 
be  faithful  in  his  ministerial  calling,  so  that,  when  sum 
moned  from  it,  he  may  be  permitted  to  feel  that  his  work 
has  been  well  done. 

On  the  24th  of  this  month  he  preached  in  Bolton,  on 
exchange  with  Rev.  W.  A.  Stickney ;  and,  in  the  record 
he  makes  of  the  day's  service,  takes  much  pleasure  in 
speaking  of  the  efforts  of  one  faithful  man  in  that  place, 
who,  "  having  become  a  convert  to  the  truth  in  Christ, 
by  prayerful  study  of  the  Scriptures,  unaided  by  any 
teacher,  save  that  spirit  which  agrees  with  the  word,  and 
which  leadeth  into  all  truth,  went  forward  in  his  work, 
made  a  meeting-house  of  his  own  dwelling,  employed  a 
preacher  of  the  Abrahamic  faith  to  dispense  occasionally 
the  word,  invited  his  neighbors  to  come  and  hear  for 
themselves  what  could  be  said  in  favor  of  the  salvation 
of  all  mankind  by  the  grace  of  God;  was  blest  in 
seeing  his  own  family,  as  well  as  others,  brought  to 
rejoice  in  the  impartial  favor  of  heaven's  King."  On 


130  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOOEE. 

the  27th  and  28th  of  this  month,  he  attended  the  meet 
ing  of  the  Southern  Association,  at  Stratford,  Ct.  He 
preached  twice  during  the  meetings. 

His  reflections,  about  this  time,  on  the  past  history  of 
religious  intolerance  in  Connecticut,  are  worthy  of  con 
sideration.  They  will  answer,  in  some  measure,  to  all 
the  New  England  and  to  not  a  few  other  states  : 

"  It  appears  almost  incredible  to  those  who  have  never 
known  the  want  of  religious  liberty,  that  it  is  but  a  little 
more  than  twenty  years,  since  the  people  of  this  state 
were  allowed  to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of 
their  own  consciences,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  equal 
rights ;  and  when  we  read  of  the  fact,  or  hear  the  living 
histories  of  the  past  relate  what  has  fallen  under  their 
own  observation,  and  what  they  themselves  have  experi 
enced,  of  the  influence  of  religious  intolerance ;  when  the 
last  cow  was  sold  'by  authority,'  to  pay  for  the  preach 
ing  of  a  doctrine  which  the  delinquent  did  not  believe, 
and  which,  therefore,  he  could  not  conscientiously  sup 
port  ;  when  a  man  was  liable  to  be  shut  up  within  the 
gloomy  walls  of  a  prison,  if  he  refused  to  pay  for  the 
preaching  of  a  doctrine  which  contends  that  God  will 
imprison  eternally  those  who  are  heretical  in  faith ;  we 
can  hardly  bring  ourselves  to  believe  that  such  horrid 
acts  were  performed  by  the  authority  of  the  state,  in  our 
own  far-famed  New  England  ;  and  that,  too,  £  for  the 
glory  of  God,  and  the  good  of  souls.'  Such  tales  of  deep 
disgrace  seem  better  suited  to  some  barbarous  age,  than 
to  civilized  life,  and  the  genius  of  Christianity ;  and  we 


MINISTRY   IN  HARTFORD.  131 

seem  to  be  induced,  instinctively,  to  refer  it  all  to  the 
'  dark  ages.'  Would  to  God  we  could  -wipe  the  deep  dis 
grace  from  the  otherwise  fair  pages  of  American  history; 
but  there  the  blot  must  remain,  and  it  may  be  well  often 
to  recur  to  those  times,  for  the  purpose  of  being  reminded 
of  the  fact,  that  we  may  profit  by  the  errors  of  the  past. 

"We  enjoyed  the  pleasure  and  profit  of  an  hour's 
conversation,  a  few  days  since,  with  one  of  the  fathers  of 
religious  toleration,  as  well  as  of  Universalism,  in  this 

state  (Judge  S ),  who  remarked,  with  an  emotion 

which  none  but  those  who  have  been  deprived  of  religious 
liberty  can  realize,  that  '  it  was  the  proudest  day  of  his 
life '  when  the  article  in  our  constitution  securing  to  all 
citizens  religious  freedom  was  adopted  —  an  event  which 
was  unexpected  even  by  its  friends. 

"That  article  was  adopted  by  a  majority  of  about 
twenty  ;  and  such  has  been  the  improvement  in  the  public 
mind,  on  this  subject,  that  we  may  safely  predict  that  if 
a  convention  of  delegates  should  now  assemble,  by  the 
direction  of  the  people,  to  decide .  upon  the  question  of 
'  religious  toleration,'  there  would  not  be  found  even 
twenty  who  would  go  against  it ;  if.  indeed,  there  would 
be  a  solitary  individual  who  would  vote  against  perfect 
religious  liberty. 

' '  There  may  be  those,  in  every  town  in  the  state,  who 
would  have  us  return  to  the  times  and  practices  of 
which  we  have  spoken ;  but,  happily  for  the  honor  of 
man.  such  would  not  be  elected  to  represent  the  town. 

"  We  venerate  the  men  whose  bosoms  were  fired  by  the 


132  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

love  of  equal  rights ;  we  reverence  the  spirit  of  liberty 
which  God  has  implanted  in  the  constitution  of  man,  and 
we  rejoice  in  the  power  and  benevolence  of  the  Gospel, 
which  contemplates  the  equal  happiness  of  the  whole  race 
of  Adam." 

He  notices,  in  one  of  the  numbers  of  the  Universalist, 
about  this  time,  a  tract  of  some  little  notoriety,  entitled 
"  The  Swearer's  Prayer,"  in  which  examination,  while  he 
deals  justly  with  the  folly  and  sin  of  profaneness,  he  con 
demns  in  strongest  terms  that  pernicious  theology  which 
has  led  men  to  pronounce  curses  and  imprecations  upon 
their  fellow-men,  and  to  call,  in  desperateness,  on  God  to 
doom  them  to  eternal  woe.  "As  no  one,"  he  writes, 
"is  capable  of  hating  himself,  so  no  one  possessed  of  a 
sane  mind  can  call  upon  God  to  make  him  eternally 
miserable.  But  man  is  capable  of  hating  his  fellow-man, 
and  may,  as  he  often  does,  under  this  spirit  of  hatred  and 
revenge,  call  upon  God  to  damn  to  all  eternity  his  ene 
my.  Now,  the  question  is,  Will  our  Heavenly  Father 
answer  such  a  prayer  ?  Do  not  let  us  evade  the  question. 
Will  he,  who  has  commanded  us  to  pray  for  those  who 
despitefully  use  us,  answer  a  prayer  which  is  the  effect 
of  the  spirit  of  hatred  and  revenge, —  a  prayer  which 
breathes  forth  the  very  reverse  of  love  and  good-will  ?  " 
He  remarks,  also :  "  We  long  for  the  time  to  come  when 
man  shall  no  longer  curse  his  fellow-man ;  but  we  do  not 
expect  to  see  that  day,  so  long  as  those  who  stand  before 
the  people  in  the  character  of  religious  teachers  are  in 
the  habit  of  preaching  the  doctrine  of  endless  woe." 


MINISTRY   IN   HARTFORD.  133 

One  evening  this  summer,  he  tells  us,  he  attended  re 
ligious  services  at  one  of  the  Congregational  churches  in 
the  city  of  his  residence,  where  he  was  disposed  to  query 
with  himself  whether  he  was  most  entertained,  amused, 
or  astonished.  We  give  his  own  statement : 

"  The  speaker,  Rev.  Mr.  Sprague,  commented,  as  his 
custom  had  been  on  such  occasions,  on  a  portion  of  the 
Scriptures.  This  evening  the  portion  which  came  in 
course  was  Acts  2 :  32  and  37  verses,  inclusive. 

"  We  were  highly  entertained  with  what  appeared  to  be 
the  easy,  natural,  and  scriptural  explanation  given  of  this 
portion  of  the  chapter.  And  what  amused  us  was,  to 
observe  the  difference  between  the  plain  and  positive 
doctrine  of  the  Bible,  when  understood  according  to  the 
obvious  meaning  of  the  writers  of  that  book,  and  the 
mystifications,  additions,  and  contradictions,  which  are  used 
for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  a  system  which  is  not 
plainly  stated  by  any  scripture  writer. 

"  The  speaker  said  there  were  three  dispensations  of  God 
to  mankind. —  First,  the  dispensation  of  God  the  Father ; 
second,  the  dispensation  of  God  the  Son ;  and,  third,  the 
dispensation  of  God  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  what  amused 
us  more  particularly  was  the  caution  which  he  felt  it 
necessary  to  give  his  hearers,  lest  they  should  consider 
the  fact  which  he  had  stated,  namely,  that  God  would 
subdue  all  Christ's  enemies,  as  favoring  the  doctrine  of 
universal  salvation.  But  the  speaker  said  that,  although 
'God  would  make  Christ's  enemies  his  footstool,' — the 
meaning  of  which  was,  that  God  would  subdue  and  sub- 
12 


134  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

ject  all  things  to  Christ, —  yet  it  was  not  necessary  to 
put  the  Universalist  comment  upon  the  passage,  and  con 
clude  that  all  thus  subdued  would  be  happy ;  for  there 
were  more  ways  than  one  to  subdue  the  sinner;  that 
many  would  be  subdued  in  this  life  by  the  grace  of  God, 
and  would  be  made  the  willing  subjects  of  Christ's  king 
dom  ;  but  there  would  be  many  also  who  would  not  be 
thus  subdued,  but  who  would  nevertheless  be  subjected 
by  the  power  of  God  in  the  future  existence ;  but  such 
would  not  be  happy,  as  they  would  be  rebellious.  We 
could  not  blame  the  man  very  much  for  this  commentary 
on  his  explanation,  which  did  savor  not  a  little  of  Univer- 
salism  ;  and,  had  he  left  his  explanation  without  the  com 
mentary,  cautioning  his  hearers  against  the  doctrine  of 
Universalism,  they  might  have  fallen  into  the  same 
opinion  of  St.  Paul,  as  declared  in  1  Cor.  15  :  28, — '  And 
when  all  things  shall  be  subdued  unto  him,  then  shall  the 
Son  also  himself  be  subject  unto  him  that  put  all  things 
under  him,  that  God  may  be  all  in  all.'  We  much  pre 
fer  Paul's  comment  on  the  doctrine  of  the  subjection  of 
Christ's  enemies  to  our  neighbor  Sprague's ;  and  it  will 
need  the  caution  of  the  orthodox  clergy  to  keep  their 
hearers  from  supposing,  if  God  subdues  all  Christ's  ene 
mies,  and  if  they  are  subject  to  Christ,  as  he  is  subject  to 
the  Father,  that  God  may  be  all  in  all,  as  Paul  clearly 
teaches  —  that  the  so  much  despised  doctrine  of  Univer 
salism  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Bible. 

"Our  astonishment,  on  that  occasion,  was  caused  by  the 
calmness  and  certainty  with  which  the  speaker  discoursed 


MINISTRY  IN  HARTFORD.  135 

to  the  sinners  present  of  theii  condition  in  the  future 
world,  where  their  misery  '  would  be  like  piercing  their 
flesh  with  some  sharp  instrument,  so  as  to  produce  the 
most  acute  pain ; '  and  the  perfect  composure  and  uncon 
cern  with  which  they  received  the  intelligence  !  Not  a 
muscle  was  moved  !  not  an  eye  was  moistened !  not  a 
sigh  was  heard !  but  all  seemed  as  unconcerned  as  though 
the  speaker  had  told  them  that  to-morrow's  dawn  would 
find  them  all  in  the  possession  of  their  usual  health  !  " 

An  acknowledgment  of  the  advantage  of  Universalism 
over  opposing  doctrines,  made  by  a  Baptist  clergyman  of 
Southington,  Ct.,  is  noted  by  Mr.  Moore,  about  this  time. 

"  He  acknowledged  that  the  difference  between  Univer 
salism  and  Partialism  is  this,  namely:  the  first  says, 
God's  plan  of  salvation  contemplates  the  reconciliation  of 
all  mankind ;  the  second,  that  it  contemplates  the  salva 
tion  of  a  part  of  the  human  race ;  also,  that  we  had  the 
advantage,  as  our  system  is  in  agreement  with  the  love 
of  God ;  but  he  thought  it  difficult  to  reconcile  it  with 
the  Scriptures.  It  is  reconcilable,  inasmuch  as  there  are 
no  passages  which  contradict  it."  This  "  advantage  "  of 
the  great  doctrine  of  the  Reconciliation  is  a  reality  which 
comes  to  many  minds  who  are  not  quite  as  ready  to  ac 
knowledge  it  as  was  the  minister  here  mentioned.  Of 
all  evidences  of  it,  however,  none  are  clearer  or  stronger 
than  those  given  in  positive  affirmations  respecting  God's 
character,  and  "his  great  and  precious  promises"  of 
spiritual  good  for  our  race. 

In  August  of  this  year  the  Connecticut  State  Conven- 


136  MEMOIK  OP  JOHN  MOORE. 

tion  met  at  Norwich.  Mr.  Moore,  in  company  with  other 
friends,  attended,  and  received  a  very  cordial  welcome 
from  the  members  of  the  society  there.  They  were  more 
over  delighted  with  the  place  itself, — "one  of  the  most 
romantic  in  the  world,"  as  Mr.  Moore  afterwards  wrote 
of  it.  Another  of  the  company  writes:  "This  place  is 
one  of  the  most  charming  spots  of  earth.  Every  moment 
was  improved.  We  visited  the  tunnel  which,  at  an  im 
mense  cost,  has  been  excavated  through  a  solid  rock,  for 
the  passage  of  the  railroad,  and  were  delighted  with  this 
curiosity.  On  the  afternoon  of  Thursday  a  numerous 
company  visited  the  falls,  and  the  grave  of  Uncas,  the 
venerated  chief  who  manifested  an  unyielding  friendship 
for  the  whites  in  their  days  of  trial  and  danger.  And 
the  friends  conducted  their  guests  to  the  '  high  places,' 
from  wjrich  the  scenery  round  about  appears  to  great 
advantage."  The  meetings  of  the  convention  during 
these  two  days  are  described  as  having  been  of  deep 
interest  to  those  who  attended  them. 

To  an  intimate  friend  who  had  just  been  deprived  of 
the  earthly  presence  of  his  companion,  he  writes,  about 
this  time : 

"  It  must  afford  you  much  comfort  to  reflect  upon  the 
fact  that  you  conversed  together  with  so  much  freedom 
on  the  subject  of  her  death.  I  believe  we  might  render 
death  less  appalling,  and  add  much  to  the  joys  of  life,  by 
conversing  more  freely  and  frequently  on  the  subject,  and 
regarding  death,  as  it  really  is,  a  friend  and  not  the 
enemy  of  man,  because  it  is  in  the  purpose  of  God 


MINISTEY  IN  HAKTFOKD.  137 

destroyed.  The  fact  that  we  cannot  always  live  together 
here,  if  viewed  in  its  proper  light,  would  enable  us  to 
enjoy  each  other's  society  and  all  the  blessings  of  life  to  a 
far  greater  extent." 

In  September  he  visited  his  native  town,  Strafford,  Vt. 
He  preached  here  one  Sabbath,  and  on  the  next  to  his 
friends  in  Lebanon.  While  in  New  Hampshire  he  at 
tended  the  Grafton  Association,  at  Bath.  On  Sunday, 
December  6th,  he  preached  to  his  people  in  Hartford 
from  the  text  chosen  by  him  for  his  first  discourse  when 
he  entered  the  ministry :  "  As  ye  go,  preach,  saying,  The 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand." — Matt.  10 :  7.  As  this 
day  completed  fifteen  years  of  his  ministry,  he  took  occa 
sion  to  contrast  the  state  of  the  religious  cause  he  advo 
cated  now,  with  its  advocacy  and  reception  when  he  first 
went  forth  in  its  behalf.  The  agreeable  change  gave  him 
great  joy.  He  writes,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend :  "I  have 
not  lost  a  single  Sunday  during  fifteen  years,  by  reason 
of  sickness.  I  have  never  for  a  single  moment  regretted 
that  I  left  the  peaceable  and  honorable  occupation  of  an 
agriculturalist  for  the  more  laborious  calling  in  which  I  am 
engaged.  I  have  never  been  troubled  at  all  with  doubts 
of  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  I  have  preached.  Deeply  do 
I  regret  that  I  have  not  lived  more  constantly  in  the 
spirit  of  our  faith.  But  I  bless  God  that  he  has  kept 
me,  thus  far,  from  bringing  reproach  upon  this  faith,  and 
enabled  me  to  do  anything  for  the  instruction  and  happi 
ness  of  my  brethren.  May  I  be  permitted  to  '  finish  my 
course '  with  God's  approval,  and  '  with  joy.' ' 
12* 


138  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

In  an  article  published  this  month  in  the  Universalist, 
entitled  "  Stormy  Sundays,"  Mr.  Moore  gives  not  only  a 
statement  of  his  own  experience,  but  some  very  profitable 
thoughts  on  those  days  of  special  interest  with  many 
ministers,  although  of  less  account  for  religious  purposes 
with  many  who  ought  to  be  their  hearers  : 

"  How  well  it  makes  one  feel,  when  the  Sunday  is  so 
stormy  that  he  fears,  as  he  leaves  his  own  fireside  to  go 
forth  to  the  labors  of  the  day,  that  he  may  be  under  the 
necessity  of  delivering  his  message  to  the  walls  of  the 
church,  instead  of  speaking  to  living,  breathing,  thinking 
beings,  whose  minds  are  prepared  to  feast  on  the  bread 
of  God  which  giveth  life  to  the  world  —  how  happily  dis 
appointed  is  he  to  find  himself  surrounded  \vith  the  sub 
stantial  members  of  his  society,  whose  presence  shows 
that  they  think  more  of  the  interest  of  their  society, 
the  encouragement  of  the  minister,  and  the  example 
they  set,  than  of  their  own  individual  ease  and  personal 
comfort ! 

"And,  then,  instead  of  having  a  few  members  of  the 
choir  present,  and  those  unable  to  sing  well,  on  account 
of  the  absence  of  those  who  '  take  the  lead,'  to  have  a  full 
choir,  full  of  the  spirit  of  melody  and  song,  and  who  are 
happy  in  pouring  forth  the  high  praises  of  God,  is  calcu 
lated  to  make  the  leader  of  the  devotions  of  the  sanctuary 
feel  that  he  is  indeed  within  the  house  of  God,  and  near 
the  gate  of  heaven. 

' '  Under  such  circumstances,  a  minister  would  be  likely 
to  give  better  sermons,  or  at  least  to  deliver  them  to  bet- 


.     MINISTRY  IN   HARTFORD.  139 

ter  acceptance,  than  if  the  circumstances  were  reversed ; 
•which  would  cause  him  to  fear  that  the  ardor  of  his 
friends  was  liable  to  be  cooled  off  by  a  little  snow  or  rain, 
and  that  they  did  not  possess  strength  of  religious  prin 
ciple  sufficient  to  induce  them  to  go  against  the  wind. 
We  are  acquainted  with  a  minister,  who  is  so  much 
affected  by  the  conduct  of  his  parishioners  in  these  re 
spects,  that  when  they  exhibit  a  commendable  zeal  in  the 
cause  of  truth,  and  appear  to  regard  the  prosperity  of 
their  society  as  they  should,  he  is  almost  another  man  in 
appearance  from  what  he  is  when  matters  and  things  are 
as  they  should  not  be  ;  so  that  an  intimate  acquaintance 
might  judge  very  correctly  of  the  state  of  his  society  by 
his  appearance  and  conversation. 

"  The  first  Sunday  in  December,  1840, —  what  a  day ! 
We  know  not  how  it  was  with  others  on  that  day,  but  we 
went  forth  to  the  labors  thereof  not  with  the  most  buoy 
ant  and  spirit-stirring  feelings ;  but  when  we  entered  a 
comfortable  church,  and  listened  to  the  songs  of  Zion  as 
they  were  chanted  by  a  full  orchestra,  the  spirit  of  devo 
tion  was  kindled  in  the  soul,  leading  the  mind  up  to 
the  great  fountain  of  eternal  light  and  love.  Much  has 
been  written  and  said  for  the  purpose  of  getting  the 
people  out  to  church  in  stormy  weather ;  and  sometimes 
what  is  said,  and  the  manner  of  saying  it,  borders  so 
closely  on  scolding,  that  we  have  sometimes  believed  it 
has  done  more  "harm  than  good.  It  is  useless,  however, 
to  attempt  to  disguise  the  fact,  that  a  minister  feels  a 
little  disturbed  if  his  parishioners  manifest  more  zeal  and 


140  MEMOIR   OP  JOHN  MOOKE. 

courage  in  getting  out  to  a  party  than  to  church ;  but, 
then,  scolding  them  will  never  cure  the  evil ;  people  have 
to  a  very  great  extent,  in  this  country,  imbibed  the  idea 
that  they  are  their  own  masters ;  and,  therefore,  have  a 
right  to  do  as  they  please,  even  if  in  so  doing  they  happen 
to  offend  their  minister.  And  it  is  entirely  useless  to 
attempt  to  change  their  minds  in  this  respect.  All  that 
can  be  done,  and  all  that  need  be  done,  is  to  induce  them 
to  please  to  do  right.  Would  it  be  right  to  expose  one's 
health  in  order  to  attend  church  ?  Would  it  be  wrong  to 
make  that  as  an  excuse  for  not  attending  church  which 
we  should  feel  ashamed  to  offer  as  an  excuse  for  not  visit 
ing  a  friend  as  expected  ? 

"  It  is  an  old  adage,  '  where  there  is  a  will  there  is  a 
way.'  In  order  to  enjoy  and  be  profited  by  religious 
services  in  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord,  we  must  feel  some 
what  as  the  ancient  prophet  of  Israel, — '  I  was  glad  when 
they  said  unto  me  let  us  go  into  the  house  of  the  Lord.' 
When  this  feeling  prevails,  the  people  will  not  stay  away 
from  church  for  trifles.  It  is  said  that  some  ministers 
always  preach  the  best  on  stormy  Sundays." 

His  reflections  at  the  close  of  this  year  are  character 
istic  of  the  man,  and  of  his  devotedness  to  his  calling. 
He  writes  in  his  journal :  ' '  Thus  endeth  the  year.  What 
good  have  I  done  ?  What  mistakes  have  I  made  ? 
Wherein  have  I  gained  or  lost  ?  How  have  I  employed 
the  blessings  or  borne  the  afflictions  of  the  past  year  ?  I 
would  learn  wisdom  by  what  I  suffer  through  mistake,  or 
indolence,  or  extravagance.  I  am,  in  feeling,  at  peace 


MINISTRY   IN  HARTFORD.  141 

with  the  world.  May  a  kind  Providence  keep  me  in  the 
way  of  peace  all  the  days  of  my  life  !  Amen." 

Early  in  January,  1841,  Mr.  Moore  preached  in  Suf- 
field,  Ct.,  where  our  faith  had  not  been  much  heard  or 
known  ;  and  the  impressions  he  made  there  seem  to  have 
been  favorable.  During  this  month  a  very  heavy  freshet 
came  upon  the  Connecticut  river,  the  most  severe  that 
had  been  known  since  1801.  Many  families  in  Hartford, 
as  in  other  river  towns,  were  made  sufferers  by  the  event. 
Mr.  Moore  preached  a  discourse  to  his  people  on  the  sub 
ject,  with  a  view  to  obtain  relief  for  some  of  the  sufferers 
in  Hartford.  He  expressed  at  the  time  great  satisfaction 
at  the  result  of  the  call  upon  his  own  people,  as  in  the 
thought  of  what  others  were  disposed  to  do  in  behalf  of 
their  needy  neighbors.  "God  be  praised,"  he  writes,  "for 
human  sympathy  and  brotherly  love." 

It  was  about  the  commencement  of  this  year  that  cer 
tain  "revival"  operations,  not  of  the  most  commendable 
character,  were  commenced  in  Hartford,  principally  under 
the  direction  of  Rev.  Jacob  Knapp,  an  eccentric  itinerant, 
whose  strange  works  had  been  made  manifest  in  other 
parts  of  New  England,  and  who  seems  to  have  been 
somehow  permitted,  by  that  Providence  whose  wonderful 
working  can  bring  good  out  of  evil,  to  run  to  death,  for 
a  season,  that  fanaticism  which  had  before  persisted  in 
such  measures  for  religious  reformation  as  were  carried 
on  in  New  England,  New  York,  and  some  other  states, 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Burchard  and  others.  Without  the  fasci 
nations  which  at  times  characterized  Mr.  Burchard's 


142  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

eloquence,  Mr.  Knapp  had  other  qualifications  which 
rendered  him  quite  acceptable  to  a  certain  class  of  hearers, 
who  are  ready  to  be  taken  captive  through  boldness,  self- 
assurance,  profusion  of  anecdote,  coarse  wit,  and  hardest 
abuse  of  all  which  the  speaker  might  deem  heresy.  Such 
were  some  of  the  instrumentalities  which  Mr.  K.  was 
able  to  use  in  his  work  at  Hartford.  His  operations 
began  in  the  South  Baptist  Church  in  that  city,  —  that 
church  then  being  without  a  pastor.  The  revivalist 
labored  with  much  zeal  for  weeks,  and  the  excitement 
extended  to  other  sects  in  the  city,  some  of  them  engag 
ing  the  services  of  their  ministers  from  abroad  to  aid 
them. 

Some  of  the  discourses  of  Mr.  Knapp  were  directed 
against  Universalism ;  and  very  bitter  and  extravagant 
discourses  they  were.  The  reports  of  them,  as  they  lay 
before  us  in  the  columns  of  the  papers  of  that  time,  are 
too  utterly  reckless  and  abominable  to  be  transferred  to 
these  pages.  Mr.  Moore  attended  one  of  the  evening 
meetings,  in  which  his  faith,  according  to  the  boasting 
announcement  of  the  revivalist,  was  to  be  refuted.  The 
preacher  of  the  doomed  doctrine  made  a  request  to  be 
heard,  but  was  denied  any  such  privilege.  He  wished  to 
make  an  appointment,  but  that  was  denied  him,  also. 
He  was  prayed  for  in  a  manner  specially  personal,  but 
was  not  allowed  to  pray  audibly  himself,  or  to  speak  in 
any  wise,  and  for  the  reason  that  "  Universalists  are  not 
Christians  "  ! 

On  the  evening  of  the  last  Sunday  in  January,  Mr. 


MINISTRY   IN   HARTFORD.  143 

Moore  replied,  in  his  own  church,  to  this  public  attack  on 
that  doctrine  which  it  was  his  delight  to  profess  and 
defend. 

The  church  was  filled  in  every  part,  and  the  most 
profound  attention  was  given  to  the  testimony  of  him  who 
stood  forth  on  that  occasion  inexpressibly  happy  that  he 
could  so  truthfully  and  triumphantly  vindicate  the  Gospel 
"  that  bringeth  salvation  to  all  men."  The  sermon  was 
afterwards  printed  in  pamphlet  form.*  It  is  a  plain, 
straightforward  vindication  of  Christian  truth  against 
the  lowest  and  most  desperate  kind  of  abuse.  It  was  not 
delivered,  as  the  author  states,  because  of  any  proof 
adduced  against  the  doctrine  of  God's  impartial  and  effi 
cient  grace  by  the  preacher  to  which  it  is  a  reply  ;  neither 
because  that  preacher  was  entitled  to  any  different  treat 
ment  from  any  other  inconsiderate  or  rash  reviler ;  but 
chiefly  because  he  was  employed  and  sustained  by  many 
of  the  leading  men  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  this 
city,  who  were,  therefore,  considered  responsible  for  his 
calumnies.^ 

One  extract  from  the  discourse  will  serve  to  give  the 
reader  the  character  of  it  all.  It  is  the  notice  of  an 
oft-repeated  objection  to  Universalism. 

"  I  now  come  to  notice  the  most  prominent  objection 

*  It  is  entitled,  "  A  Discourse,  delivered  in  the  Universalist  Church, 
Hartford,  Conn.,  Sunday  evening,  January  31,  1811,  in  reply  to  a 
public  attack  recently  made  on  Universalism  and  the  character  of 
Universalists,  in  the  South  Baptist  Church  in  this  city.  By  John  Moore, 
pastor.  Hartford  :  Printed  by  John  B.  Eldredge,  1841." 


144         MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOOEE. 

to  the  truth  of  Universalism  which  was  brought  forward, 
namely,  that  it  '  makes  the  hearts  of  the  righteous  sad, 
whom  God  has  not  made  sad,  and  strengthens  the  hands 
of  the  wicked,  that  they  should  not  return,  by  promising 
them  life,' or  saying  'ye  shall  not  surely  die.'  This 
objection  is  brought  against  our  views  by  all  our  oppo 
nents,  and,  therefore,  deserves  our  candid  attention  :  for,  if 
the  doctrine  we  hold  and  preach  does  make  the  heart  of 
the  righteous  sad,  and  strengthen  the  hands  of  the  wicked 
in  sin,  why,  then  it  ought  to  be  abandoned  by  all  people. 
But  is  this  the  fact  in  the  case  ?  Let  us  carefully  ex 
amine  this  question.  It  has  two  parts.  First,  it  is  con 
tended  that  '  the  doctrine  of  Universalism  makes  the 
hearts  of  the  righteous  sad.'  What  is  this  doctrine  that 
is  so  saddening  to  the  hearts  of  the  righteous  ?  It  is 
this :  that  it  is  the  will  of  God  that  all  men  should  be 
saved,  and  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth ;  that  the 
sin  of  the  world  shall  be  taken  away,  and  all  for  whom 
Jesus  died  shall  be  made  immortal  and  happy,  being  made 
holy  by  the  grace  of  God.  Now.  is  this  doctrine  calcu 
lated  to  make  a  righteous  heart  sad  ?  Does  not  every 
righteous  heart  desire  the  holiness  and  happiness  of  all 
men  ?  And  would  an  assurance  that  their  desires  shall 
be  granted  make  the  heart  sad?  Was  the  heart  of 
righteous  old  Simeon  sad,  when,  by  faith  in  the  mission 
of  Jesus,  he  exclaimed,  as  in  an  ecstasy  of  joy,  '  Now, 
Lord,  let  me  depart  in  peace,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen 
thy  salvation,  which  thou  hast  prepared  before  the  face 
of  all  people ;  a  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,  and  the 


MINISTRY   IN   HARTFORD.  145 

glory  of  thy  people  Israel '  ?  Was  the  heart  of  Stephen 
sad,  when,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  prayed  for  his  mur 
derers,  saying,  '  Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge '  ? 
"Was  Peter  made  sad,  when  God  taught  him  to  call  no 
man  common  or  unclean  ?  or  when  he  declared,  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  '  the  promise  is  unto  you,  and  to  your 
children,  and  unto  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as 
the  Lord  our  God  shall  call '  ?  Think  you  that  the  heart 
of  St.  Paul  was  sad,  when  he  told  the  brethren  at  Phil- 
ippi  that  unto  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow, 
and  every  tongue  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to 
the  glory  of  God  the  Father  ?  Or  John,  when  he  testified 
that  the  Father  sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the 
world  ?  It  is  very  clearly  seen  that  none  but  the  heart 
of  the  se//"-righteous,  or  misanthrope,  can  be  made  sad 
by  the  doctrine  of  the  universal  holiness  and  happiness 
of  man.  There  is  joy  in  heaven  over  the  repentance  of 
one  sinner  —  and  can  that  joy  be  full  while  there  are 
impenitent  sinners  whose  repentance  would  add  to  that 
joy  ?  But,  if  this  doctrine  makes  the  righteous  heart  sad, 
would  that  sadness  be  removed  by  a  belief  in  the  senti 
ment  of  endless  misery  ?  This  cannot  be.  We  see,  then, 
that  a  belief  in  Universalism  does  not  make  the  heart  of 
the  righteous  sad. 

"  The  other  part  of  the  charge  is,  that  Universalism 
c  strengthens  the  hands  of  the  wicked,  that  he  should  not 
return,  by  promising  him  life.'  Is  this  true  of  the  doc 
trine  in  question  ?  Is  it  not  a  fact  that  our  opposers 
object  to  our  doctrine,  because  we  preach  the  utter  impos- 
13 


146  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

sibility  of  the  sinner's  escaping  a  just  retribution  ?  Is 
it  not  also  a  fact,  that  we  promise  to  the  wicked,  on  the 
veracity  of  the  word  of  God,  death  instead  of  life  '  in  his 
sins '  ?  Does  not  Universalism  teach,  on  the  authority 
of  Paul,  that  the  wages  of  sin  is  death ;  and  do  we  not 
contend,  and  that  in  agreement  with  the  declaration  of 
Jehovah,  that  all  sinners  shall  surely  receive  these  wages  ? 
Why,  then,  are  we  accused  of  strengthening  the  hands  of 
the  wicked  ?  Will  it  be  said  that  this  death  is  endless 
misery  ;  and  that  by  denying  it  we  sadden  the  hearts  of 
the  righteous,  and  prevent  the  wicked  from  returning 
from  his  evil  way?  Well,  let  the  objector  have  it  his 
own  way :  '  the  wages  of  sin  is  endless  misery,'  and  these 
wages  all  sinners  must  receive.  All  have  sinned,  which 
involves  all  in  endless  suffering.  c  But  if  they  repent,' 
continues  the  objector,  '  they  shall  be  saved.'  Then  some 
sinners  will  not  experience  the  penalty  of  the  law.  But 
the  Bible  doctrine  is,  '  the  soul  that  sinneth  it  shall  die.' 
To  this  sentiment  we  readily  subscribe  ;  it  is  a  prominent 
feature  of  our  preaching,  and  so  prominent  that  we  are 
accused  of  '  setting  aside  the  mercy  of  God.'  But  Uni 
versalism  teaches  that  the  mercy  of  God  is  displayed  in 
saving  men  from  deserving  punishment,  and  not  from 
the  demands  of  his  justice.  Mercy  and  justice,  in  the 
Deity,  perfectly  harmonize." 

In  addition  to  the  public  attacks  made  on  his  faith, 
Mr.  Moore,  about  this  time,  received  the  special  atten 
tions  of  some  of  the  most  zealous  in  these  revival  oper 
ations.  He  received  a  letter,  the  writer  of  which  besought 


MINISTRY   IN   HAKTFORD.  147 

him  "for  Christ's  sake  to  let  the  Baptists  convert  him," 
and  was  informed  that  certain  ones  were  praying  to  this 
end  one  whole  night;  after  which  he  writes,  "  I  know  of 
no  change  in  feeling  or  of  views  in  consequence  thereof." 
He  was  visited  by  the  writer  of  the  letter  just  named,  who, 
in  company  with  a  new  convert  of  like  faith,  was  very 
desirous  of  having  Mr.  Moore  see  that  he  was  leading 
souls  to  ruin  under  his  ministry,  because  he  did  not 
preach  eternal  punishment.  He  writes,  "  One  of  them 
was  so  abusive  (Mr.  Cook,  a  minister),  that  I  thought 
it  best  to  use  plain  talk  with  him,  and  to  rebuke  him 
sharply." 

Under  date  January  29th,  he  writes  to  his  son  on  the 
choice  of  a  profession :  "  There  is  no  calling  without 
its  perplexities.  Any  one  is  good,  if  it  is  duly  honored  ; 
and  it  will  be  measurably  honored  if  we  love  it,  and  find 
that  we  can  adapt  ourselves  to  it. 

"  The  mercantile  life  is  not  one  of  independence.  It 
requires  one  to  be  almost  a  slave  to  the  whims  and  dis 
honesty  of  the  times.  Aside  from  my  own,  I  should 
prefer  the  farmer's  or  mechanic's  life.  Much  as  I  should 
be  pleased  to  have  you  go  into  the  ministry,  I  would  not 
advise  you  to  this  course,  unless  you  can  bring  your 
mind  to  love  it  better  than  any  other  calling. 

"To  be  a  successful  and  happy  minister,  one  must 
have  as  much  philanthropy  as  a  merchant  has  love  of 
money,  or  a  statesman  love  of  fame  ;  and  then,  with  ordi 
nary  talents,  there  will  be  no  great  trouble.  One  must 


148  MEMOIE   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

also  be  content  to  labor  on  any  part  of  the  building  where 
he  may  be  useful. 

"  If  you  have  strong  love  for  the  Gospel,  and  would 
be  useful  to  the  world  by  engaging  in  its  defence  and 
promulgation,  if  you  feel  that  God  has  given  you  a  talent 
which  you  can  properly  improve  to  this  end,  you  need 
not  hesitate.  '  A  man's  gifts  shall  make  way  for  him.' 
You  can  have  all  needed  human  means  to  prepare  you 
for  the  work.  As  to  your  becoming  a  'popular'  preacher, 
this  is  the  smallest  item  in  the  account,  if  you  have  the 
truth  in  you,  and  can  speak  it  understandingly,  freely, 
fervently." 

On  his  birth-day  completing  his  forty-fourth  year,  he 
writes:  "And  is  it  so?  I  am  flying  on  the  wings  of 
time,  I  trust,  to  my  heavenly  home.  May  God  enable 
me  to  do  more  for  the  year  to  come,  in  his  cause,  than  I 
have  ever  done  in  any  previous  year." 

This  year  Mr.  Moore  preached  the  occasional  sermon 
at  the  Hartford  Association,  which  met  at  Berlin,  Conn., 
on  the  28th  and  29th  of  April.  His  text  was  1  Cor. 
16  :  13,  —  "  Quit  you  like  men." 

Some  time  in  this  same  month  (April),  Mr.  Moore 
lectured  twice  in  West  Hartford,  of  which  efforts  he 
•writes  :  "I  have  never  spoken  to  more  attentive  hearers 
anywhere.  On  the  first  evening.  Rev.  Mr.  Wood,  pastor 
of  the  only  society  in  the  place,  was  present,  and  after 
my  discourse  made  some  remarks,  and  offered  the  last 
prayer,  all  in  the  right  spirit.  The  late  Dr.  Perkins 
was  pastor  of  this  church  and  society  for  more  than  sixty 


MINISTRY   IN   HARTFORD.  149 

years ;  and  he  succeeded,  while  he  lived,  in  keeping  all 
heretics  out  of  his  parish.  His  prayer,  I  am  told,  uni 
formly  was,  that  '  the  roving  Methodists  and  plunging 
Baptists '  might  come  to  naught,  or  be  no  more.  But, 
since  he  has  gone,  these  '  rovers '  and  '  plungers '  have 
invaded  the  territorial  limits  of  the  doctor's  parish,  and 
obtained  more  or  less  converts,  although  I  believe  neither 
of  them  hold  meetings  there  on  the  Sabbath.  Even  the 
present  pastor  holds  what  was  by  the  doctor  regarded  as 
rank  heresy,  that  '  it  is  a  glorious  truth  that  Jesus  Christ 
gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all ;  that  he  tasted  death  for 
every  man ; '  and  that  '  all  may  be  saved,'  — which  was 
the  great  heresy  of  the  Methodists.  It  is  not  certain 
what  will  be  orthodoxy  in  years  to  come  ;  but  it  is  very 
certain  that  it  will  not  be  more  unreasonable  than  it  has 
been.  We  are  going  onward." 

In  his  journal  for  June,  he  mentions  a  conversation 
with  a  student  of  Washington  College,  in  which  was 
verified  the  ignorance  of  some  of  the  learned,  among  the 
opposers  ©f  Universalism,  in  respect  to  this  faith.  The 
student  stated  that  President  Totten,  of  that  institution, 
told  him  that  "  Universalists  held  that  all  men  deserve 
endless  punishment,  but  that  Christ  will  save  from  it." 
Not  quite  so  strange  an  utterance  as  that  of  the  question 
which  we  have  been  assured  a  somewhat  distinguished 
New  England  divine  once  proposed  to  a  Universalist 
clergyman,  "  Whether  the  denomination  to  which  he  be 
longed  believed  in  a  future  life  beyond  the  grave  ?  "  If 
pardon  is  needed  anywhere,  it  is  in  instances  like  these. 
13* 


150  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

In  the  one  involving  the  president  and  student  of  "Wash 
ington  College,  strict  justice  was  done  by  Mr.  Moore,  in 
the  interview  already  mentioned. 

In  August  Mr.  Moore  attended  the  Connecticut  State 
Convention,  held  in  Middletown,  on  which  occasion  he 
preached  two  sermons ;  the  last  on  the  ordination  of  Rev. 
S.  B.  Britton.  He  also  took  part,  during  this  meeting, 
in  the  installation  of  Rev.  Merritt  Sanford  as  pastor  of 
the  Universalist  society  in  Middletown.  Mr.  Moore  gave 
the  Right  Hand  of  Fellowship  to  the  pastor  elect.  As 
he  closes  the  account  of  his  last  week  in  August,  the 
enumeration  of  his  various  duties  through  the  week,  such 
as  sermonizing,  writing  of  letters  and  editorial,  attend 
ance  at  weddings,  funerals,  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows' 
Lodges,  temperance  meeting,  and  school  exhibition, 
together  with  domestic  calls',  brings  before  us  a  very 
striking  representation  of  a  working  pastor's  life.  In 
September  he  visited  Philadelphia,  preaching  two  Sundays 
in  that  city,  and  returned  home,  attending  the  United 
States  Convention  in  New  York  on  his  way.  The  fol 
lowing  letter  was  written  during  this  journey,  to  a  friend 
in  Hartford : 

"Philadelphia,  September  11,  1841.  —  In  agree 
ment  with  my  promise,  I  now  write  you  from  the  '  City 
of  Brotherly  Love.'  I  left  Hartford  on  the  3d  instant, 
at  half-past  five  o'clock  p.  M.,  for  New  Haven ;  and 
before  eight  o'clock  found  myself  on  board  the  '  New 
Haven,'  a  large  and  excellent  boat,  which  runs  between 
New  Haven  and  New  York  twice  in  twenty-four  hours, 


MINISTRY   IN    HARTFORD.  151 

—  called  the  'citizens  line.'  This  boat  leaves  New 
Haven  at  ten  o'clock  p.  M.  I  had  taken  a  good  berth 
and  a  '  sweet  nap,'  before  she  left  the  wharf;  and  knew 
but  little,  except  that  I  was  in  a  world  of  noise,  occa 
sioned  by  the  working  of  the  engine,  till  near  six  o'clock 
next  morning,  when  I  came  to  my  usual  senses  at  '  Peck 
Slip,'  N.  Y. — though  we  landed  there  at  four.  I  was 
immediately  taken  to  the  North  river,  and  took  passage 
for  this  place,  in  the  morning  six  o'clock  line.  Came 
on  to  Amboy,  then  by  railroad  across  New  Jersey  to 
Camden,  opposite  Philadelphia ;  crossed  the  Delaware  in 
the  boat  connected  with  the  New  York  line,  and  was  '  set 
down '  at  86  Callowhill-street  at  half-past  one  o'clock 
P.  M. ;  making  about  fourteen  hours'  travel  from  Hartford 
to  Philadelphia,  a  distance  of  something  like  two  hundred 
and  forty  miles. 

"  Sunday,  September  5th,  I  preached  in  the  Callowhill- 
street  Church  in  the  morning,  and  at  the  Lombard-street 
Church  in  the  evening,  to  good  and  very  attentive  audi 
ences.  I  found  myself  surrounded  by  warm-hearted  and 
generous  friends,  who,  although  strangers  to  my  person, 
appeared  to  be  very  familiar  with  my  faith. 

"  The  friends  with  whom  I  have  here  associated  for  the 
past  few  days  have  been  untiring  in  their  attention, 
and  have  given  me  many  pleasant  rides  in  and  about  this 
beautiful  city.  I  have  with  them  visited  nearly  all  the 
important  places,  and  have  been  most  highly  delighted 
with  what  has  been  shown  me,  with  the  exception  of  the 
unpleasant  sensations  experienced  when  visiting  the  prison. 


152  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MJDOKE. 

Our  visit  to  £  Fair  Mount,'  to  'Laurel  Hill,'  the  view  of 
'  Girard  College,'  rides  up  and  down  along  the  beautiful 
banks  of  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill  rivers ;  a  view  of 
the  well-cultivated  farms,  the  splendid  mansions,  and  the 
abundant  productions  of  the  earth ;  the  extensive  and 
well-furnished  markets ;  the  neatness  and  regularity  of 
the  streets,  together  with  the  good  order  which  so  gen 
erally  prevails,  has  given  me  a  very  favorable  impression 
in  regard  to  the  place  and  its  inhabitants. 

"To-morrow  I  am  to  preach,  morning  and  evening,  at  the 
Callowh ill-street  Church ;  in  the  afternoon,  at  Kensing 
ton.  The  three  churches  in  this  city  are  in  a  very  flourish 
ing  condition  ;  and  it  is  confidently  believed,  by  the  friends 
of  our  holy  cause  here,  that  with  the  proper  exertions,  a 
good  society  might  be  raised  in  the  west  part  of  the  city. 
May  the  time  soon  come !  The  opposition  to  Universalism 
here  is  great,  but  not  so  great  as  the  truth  against  which 
it  rages  in  vain.  The  three  resident  ministers  here,  with 
the  power  of  truth  and  a  commendable  zeal,  are  a  host 
which  error  with  all  its  votaries  eannot  vanquish.  I  am 
to  leave  this  city  on  Monday  morning,  in  company  with 
other  ministers,  for  Heightstown,  N.  J.,  where  we  are  to 
hold  a  meeting  on  Monday  evening,  on  our  way  to  the 
United  States  Convention." 

His  reflections  and  resolutions  upon  the  next  new  year, 
1842,  are  good  and  practical.  "  May  the  wisdom  of 
God  guide  me  in  the  duties  and  labors  of  this  new  year. 
May  I  be  energetic  in  every  good  word  and  work.  May 
I  copy  the  example  of  my  Divine  Master,  that  in  all 


MINISTRY  IN  HARTFORD.  153 

things  I  may  glorify  my  Creator  and  changeless  Friend ! " 
His  resolutions  are,  "  1,  that  I  will  rise  early ;  2,  that 
I  will  not  run  into  debt ;  —  resolutions  which,  adopted 
and  persisted  in,  have  aided  in  securing  health,  prosperity, 
and  peace,  to  many  a  home.  The  new  year  opened  to 
our  brother  as  one  of  much  work  for  him.  In  addition 
to  his  ordinary  pulpit  duties,  he  was  called  in  various 
directions  to  address  the  people  on  the  subject  of  tem 
perance.  He  frequently  spoke  at  much  length  and  in 
great  earnestness  on  this  topic,  and  always  to  the  accept 
ance  of  his  audiences. 

In  a  letter  to  his  son,  of  date  January  26th  of  this 
year,  he  speaks  in  the  following  strain  on  the  doctrine  of 
human  progression  :  "I  have  given  a  lecture  on  human 
destiny,  which  made  some  stir.  I  took  the  ground  that 
this  destiny  is  indefinite  progress  in  intellectual  strength 
and  moral  goodness,  or;  continued  approximation  to  the 
Divine  perfection ;  which  means  that  human  destiny  is 
no  more  fixed  at  death  than  at  birth.  There  never  can 
come  a  period  when  our  destiny  will  be  fixed.  Indefinite 
progress  is  the  law  of  our  minds.  Then,  as  death  does 
not  affect  the  mind,  and  there  is  a  difference  in  the  con 
dition  of  the  enlightened  and  unenlightened  this  side  of 
the  line,  death,  there  must  of  necessity  be  a  difference  the 
other  side.  How,  then,  do  you  make  all  happy?  Answer: 
By  enlightening  the  minds  of  all ;  —  the  same  as  persons 
are  made  happy  here.  Give  them  a  knowledge  of  the 
truth. 

"  It  is  said  that  both  classes  of  minds  will  be  brought 


154  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN  MOORE. 

into  a  perfect  state  ?  But  a  perfect  state  of  what  ?  Of 
knowledge  ?  There  knowledge  must  be  imparted,  and 
that  by  the  exercise  of  the  mind.  Then  the  mind  that 
has  been  thus  exercised  till  it  has  acquired  strength  is 
in  a  different  condition,  when  it  enters  the  future,  from 
the  one  which  is  weak  from  inaction.  Take  two  persons, 
the  one  intelligent,  the  other  ignorant.  Let  them  be 
placed  in  a  state  of  being  free  from  all  temptation  to  sin, 
let  them  be  surrounded  by  the  same  influences,  and  is 
there  no  difference  in  the  condition  ?  And  what  is  this 
difference  ?  and  what  the  cause  of  it  ?  Surely,  the  intel 
lectual  and  moral  training  of  the  one,  and  the  neglect  of 
it  in  the  other," 

In  the  month  of  February  Mr.  Moore  had  the  oppor 
tunity  of  listening  to  a  discourse  by  Rev.  Dr.  Hawes,  of 
Hartford.  The  doctor  had  taken  occasion  to  speak  of 
what  he  deemed  the  errors  of  Millerism,  then  finding  an 
unusual  advocacy  in  that  city.  The  preacher's  text  was 
Deut.  29  :  29,  —  "  Secret  things  belong  to  the  Lord  our 
God ;  but  those  things  which  are  revealed  belong  to  us  and 
to  our  children  forever."  He  repudiated  the  idea  that 
the  world  would  come  to  an  end  in  1843,  and  considered 
the  fright  into  which  this  apprehension  would  run  some 
minds,  subversive  of  the  true  work  of  religion  in  the 
heart.  Mr.  Moore,  who  agreed  with  him  in  the  main 
respecting  Millerism,  speaks  very  plainly,  through  the 
columns  of  the  Universalist,  of  other  portions  of  the 
doctor's  discourse. 

"  In  speaking  of  the  things  which  God  had  revealed  to 


MINISTRY   IN   HARTFORD.  155 

us,  and  which  things,  according  to  the  text,  'belong  to 
us  and  to  our  children  forever,'  the  doctor  said,  '  The 
revelation  of  God  to  man  is  plain,  accompanied  with  a 
"thus  saith  the  Lord,"  not  taught  by  inference,  and 
is  purely  practical.'  Now,  this  is  a  most  reasonable 
statement;  for  revelation  is  to  make  known  —  is  the 
disclosure  of  truth  to  mankind  by  the  Deity,  to  acquaint 
mankind  with  truths  of  which  they  were  ignorant.  And, 
of  course,  if  God  has  made  a  revelation  of  those  things 
an  understanding  or  knowledge  of  which  is  important 
to  our  welfare,  we  should  naturally  expect  that  it  would 
be  ' plain ,'  — accompanied  by  a  'thus  saith  the  Lord,' 
and  '  not  taught  by  inference.'  And,  furthermore,  it  is 
most  reasonable  to  believe  that  those  truths  which  God 
has  revealed  to  mankind,  and  which  therefore  '  belong 
unto  us  and  to  our  children,'  are  ' practical'  truths.  All 
this  is  very  well  —  just  what  we  might  expect  from  a 
logician.  But,  while  I  was  pleased  with  this  statement 
of  the  doctor's  in  regard  to  the  plainness,  the  positive- 
ness,  and  the  practicability,  of  the  truths  of  Divine 
Revelation,  I  could  not  well  refrain  from  indulging  in 
the  following  queries,  namely  :  Where  in  all  the  Bible  is 
it  ' plainly '  revealed,  and  clearly  and  '  not  by  inference ' 
taught,  and  accompanied  by  a  '  thus  saith  the  Lord,'  that 
there  is  to  be  a  judgment  subsequent  to  the  immortal 
resurrection,  when  the  then  future  condition  of  all  man 
kind  will  be  irrevocably  fixed, -some  in  happiness  ancl 
some  in  misery,  world  without  end  ?  When  at  the  same 
time  the  doctor  said  that  '  Christ  mi^ht  come  to  us  as 


156  MEMOIR  OF   JOHN  MOORE. 

individuals  before  morning,  and  fix  our  condition  in 
heaven  or  in  hell ! '  What  possible  necessity  can  there 
be  for  such  judgment,  when  the  condition  of  each  indi 
vidual  \vill  be  fixed  in  heaven  or  hell  at  death ;  and 
especially  when  it  is  taught  by  the  doctor  that  there  is 
no  possible  release  from  hell,  but  that  all  who  go  there  — 
and  all  do  go  either  there  or  to  heaven  at  death  —  will 
eternally  remain  in  that  state  !  If  the  doctor  was  a 
Catholic,  there  might  be  some  reasonableness  in  the  doc 
trine  of  a  judgment  after  the  resurrection ;  but  even 
then  the  inquiry  where  in  the  Bible  is  that  sentiment 
plainly,  and  not  by  inference,  taught,  would  remain  un 
answered. 

"  Again,  where  in  the  Bible  is  it  plainly  and  posi 
tively  taught  that  '  God  purposed  to  save  but  a  part  of 
our  race ;  that  he  purposed  who  and  how  many  should 
be  saved,  and  that  those  who  are  saved  will  be  saved 
according  to  his  purpose '  ?  And  how  could  the  world 
of  mankind,  who  were  'dead  in  sin,'  be  in  danger  of  being 
lost  eternally,  when  '  God  had  purposed  to  save  a  part ' 
of  the  world  ?  And  then,  again,  if  Christ  came,  as  the 
doctor  said,  and  as  the  Saviour  himself  said,  '  to  seek 
and  save  that  which  was  lost,'  what  shall  prevent  him 
from  the  accomplishment  of  the  work  of  his  mission? 

"  Furthermore,  if  the  revelation  of  God  to  man,  or  if 
'  the  things '  which  he  has  revealed  to  us,  are  '  purely 
practical,'  it  is  unquestionably  our  duty  to  practise  upon 
those  truths  —  to  carry  out  in  practical  life  the  principles 
and  to  exhibit  the  spirit  of  '  the  things '  or  the  truths 


MINISTRY   IN  HARTFORD.  157 

which  God  has  revealed.  But  what  would  be  said  of  the 
man,  especially  of  the  Christian  father,  who  should  at 
tempt,  in  the  government  of  his  family,  to  practise  upon 
the  doctrine  of  '  endless  punishment '  ?  Who,  when  hig 
sons  might  have  disobeyed  his  laws  a  given  number  of 
times,  or  if  they  should  remain  obstinate  and  rebellious 
against  his  government  till  they  had  arrived  at  a  certain 
age,  should  not  only  withdraw  from  them  all  his  parental 
protection,  but  should  fix  them  in  a  state  of  indescribable 
torture,  where  they  could  not  love  and  obey  him,  but 
while  they  should  live  would  continually  receive  the 
most  severe  punishment  from  him  who  possessed  the 
power  ;  and  this,  not  because  they  had  injured  him,  but 
because  they  had  injured  themselves  by  transgressing  his 
laws,  which  laws  were  made  for  their  good !  I  repeat, 
what  would  be  thought  and  said  of  a  father,  who  should 
thus  treat  his  sons;  especially  if  it  were  known  that 
this  father,  having  the  complete  control  of  these  sons,  who 
were  dependent  on  him  for  their  education,  had  not 
1  purposed '  that  they  should  obey  him,  and  therefore  had 
not  given  them  the  necessary  education  to  induce  in  them 
filial  love  and  obedience  ?  Such  conduct  would  outrage 
all  parental  kindness,  and  would  not  long  be  suffered  in 
a  civilized  community;  and  yet,  this  is  but  a  mere 
shadow  of  the  practical  tendency  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
endless  misery  of  those  whom  God  has  not  purposed  to 
save.  What  father  has  a  heart  to  practise  upon  the 
spirit  and  principles  of  partialism  ?  Where  in  the  Bible 
is  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery  plainly,  and  not  by 
14 


158  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

inference,  and  accompanied  by  a  '  thus  saith  the  Lord,' 
taught?" 

Next  follows  a  somewhat  close  review,  for  a  brief  one, 
of  the  "new school"  and  "old  school"  views  in  New 
England  theology: 

"  In  order  to  perceive  the  difference  between  two 
things,  it  is  well  to  view  them  side  by  side.  I  shall 
therefore  present  the  old  doctrine  of  election,  and  with 
it  the  new,  as  I  learned  it  from  Dr.  Hawes'  own  lips ; 
just  stating,  by  the  way,  that  the  old  doctrine  had  become 
so  obnoxious  to  the  better  feelings  and  the  enlightened 
reason  of  the  great  mass  of  New  England  Calvinists,  that 
they  could  not  receive  any  longer  as  the  truth  of  God 
the  sentiment  that  the  Almighty  made  some  of  the 
human  race  for  endless  punishment, —  this  was  too  revolt 
ing  to  their  benevolence,  and  also  to  their  sense  of  justice, 
—  and  so  the  '  new  school '  theory  was  adopted.  How 
much  the  new  differs,  in  reality,  from  the  old,  let  the 
reader  judge.  Here  follows  the  '  old  school '  doctrine : 
'  By  the  decree  of  God,  for  the  manifestation  of  his  glory, 
some  men  and  angels  are  predestinated  unto  everlasting 
life,  and  others  foreordained  to  everlasting  death.  These 
angels  and  men  thus  predestinated  and  foreordained  are 
particularly  and  unchangeably  designed,  and  their  num 
ber  is  so  certain  and  definite  that  it  cannot  be  either 
increased  or  diminished.'  —  ISaybrook  Platform,  chap. 
III.,  sec.  3  and  4.  Adopted  September  9th,  1708.  To 
this  view  of  the  subject  many  have  seriously  objected ; 
and  it  is  believed  by  the  great  mass  of  Congregational 


MINISTRY   IN   HARTFORD.  159 

Christians  that  their  clergy  of  the  '  new  school '  have 
repudiated  the  old  doctrine  of  '  Particular  Election  and 
Reprobation,'  and  they  generally  speak  of  it  with  ab 
horrence.  But  what  sentiment  have  their  clergy  substi 
tuted  in  its  place  ?  Here  it  follows :  '  God  has  purposed 
to  save  but  a  part  of  mankind  (or  the  world)  ;  he  pur 
posed  how  many  and  who  should  be  saved ;  he  purposed 
to  save  those  who  are  saved,  and  all  who  are  saved  are 
saved  according  to  his  purpose  :  but  he  has  not  revealed 
who  nor  how  many  will  be  saved ;  all  are  invited,  and  all 
who  come  to  Christ  will  be  saved.'  — Dr.  Halves'  Lec 
ture,  Hartford,  February  13,  1842. 

"  Here,  reader,  you  have,  side  by  side,  the  'old  and  the 
new  school'  doctrine,  touching  the  purpose  of  God  in 
regard  to  the  salvation  proclaimed  to  the  world  by  the 
Gospel.  And  what  is  the  difference  ?  Let  me  here  give 
the  two  sentiments  in  a  condensed  form.  The  'old' 
says  that  the  number  whom  God  predestinated  to  salva 
tion  is  so  certain  and  definite,  that  it  cannot  be  either 
increased  or  diminished.  The  '  new '  says,  God  purposed 
how  many  and  who  should  be  saved ;  and  all  who  are 
saved  will  be  saved  according  to  that. purpose.  There 
is  a  difference  in  the  phraseology,  to  be  sure ;  but  is  there 
any  difference,  in  reality,  in  the  sentiment  ?  Is  there  any 
essential  difference  between  God's  purposing  to  save  a 
definite  number  of  his  creatures,  and  his  predestinating 
a  definite  number  of  his  creatures  to  salvation  ?  Just 
none  at  all.  Dr.  Buck  says,  the  '  decrees  of  God  are 
his  settled  purposes,  whereby  he  foreordains  whatsoever 


160  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

comes  to  pass.'  Then  God  foreordained  '  how  many  and 
who  should  be  saved.' 

"There  is,  however,  this  difference  between  the  'old 
and  new  school  men '  in  regard  to  the  subject  of  God's 
economy  of  grace,  as  they  hold  it  to  be  revealed  in  his 
word,  namely  :  the  former  say  that  God  foreordains  some 
(those  who  are  not  designed  for  salvation)  to  everlasting 
death  ;  while  the  latter  either  say  nothing  of  this  class, 
or  else  say  that  they  may  come  to  Christ,  and  be  saved, 
if  they  will.  And  this  is  all  the  difference  which  appears 
to  my  mind,  as  I  contrast  the  two  sentiments  as  found  in 
the  books  of  the  old  school  party  and  as  given  by  Dr.  H. 
—  who,  as  before  remarked,  will  unquestionably  be  con 
sidered  good  authority.  The  view  of  the  subject  given 
by  Dr.  Hawes  is  the  only  consistent  view  which  can  be 
entertained  by  a  partialist.  No  one,  it  would  seem,  can 
doubt,  that  the  Deity,  in  the  salvation  of  the  world,  had 
a  definite  object  in  view ;  and  all  the  means  which  he 
employs  in  the  grand  work  of  human  salvation  are  un 
questionably  directed  to  the  accomplishment  of  that 
object,  and  are  sure  of  success.  So  that  all  who  are 
saved  will  be  saved  according  to  the  purpose  of  God ; 
and  if  there  are  any  who  are  finally  lost,  it  is  most  clear 
that  God  did  not  purpose  to  save  such;  unless  we  take 
ground  that  the  Deity  either  had  no  purpose  in  regard  to 
the  matter,  or  that  man  has  power  to  defeat  the  purpose 
of  the  Almighty ! 

"  But  the  thinking  mind  must  have  perceived  the 
unreasonableness  of  the  position,  that  although  God  has 


MINISTRY   IN  HARTFORD.  161 

purposed  to  save  '  but  a  part '  of  our  race,  that  he  has 
purposed  how  many  and  who  they  are  that  are  to  be 
saved,  and  that  his  purpose  will  be  accomplished,  and 
those  who  are  saved  will  be  saved  according  to  that  pur 
pose  ;  yet  all  are  invited  to  come  to  Christ,  with  the 
assurance  that  all  who  come  will  be  saved.  Query : 
Can  those  whom  God  has  not  purposed  to  save  so  come 
to  Christ  as  to  be  saved  ?  If  not,  where  is  the  propriety 
of  the  invitation  ?  If  some,  whom  God  has  not  purposed 
to  save,  can  so  come  to  Christ  as  to  be  saved,  where  is 
the  strength  of  the  purpose  ?  The  fact  is,  God  has  not 
invited  those  to  come  to  Christ  whom  he  did  not  purpose 
to  save ;  and,  as  he  has  invited  all,  we  may  safely  con 
clude  that  he  purposed  to  save  all." 

In  June  he  attended  the  Massachusetts  Convention  of 
Universalists,  at  Springfield,  and  preached  during  the 
meeting.  He  also  attended  the  session  of  the  Quinnebaug 
Association,  at  Stafford,  where  he  delivered  one  sermon, 
and  an  address  on  temperance.  It  was  on  the  first 
Sunday  in.  this  month  that  he  had  the  pleasure  of  listen 
ing,  in  his  own  desk  in  Hartford,  to  the  first  discourse 
of  his  son,  Rev.  John  Harvey  Moore,  a  candidate  then 
for  that  sacred  office,  in  which  he  has  since  proved  him 
self  a  faithful  and  useful  co-worker  with  his  honored 
parent,  and  with  many  others  who  have  been  mutual 
partakers  of  the  trials  and  joys  of  the  ministry  of 
reconciliation. 

It  was  some  time  in  this  month,  as  he  states,  that  he 
had  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  the  plea  of  a  well-educated 
14* 


162  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

African,  before  a  public  audience,  in  behalf  of  his  race  : 
"  The  first  man,"  he  writes,  "  that  I  ever  heard  ask  assist 
ance  in  behalf  of  the  heathen,  who  did  not  suppose  them 
to  be  in  danger  of  endless  suffering  hereafter,  which  is 
usually  urged  as  a  reason  why  we  should  contribute  to 
save  them.  Surely  this  is  something  new."  On  the 
Fourth  of  July  he  went  by  invitation  to  Warehouse 
Point,  and  gave  an  oration.  A  large  number  were  in 
attendance.  Twelve  hundred  sat  down  to  the  collation. 
It  was  a  celebration  of  the  "glorious  anniversary"  on 
temperance  principles;  the  "  ardent  spirits,"  on  the  occa 
sion,  being  of  a  different  character  from  such  as  the  ine 
briating  glass  could  impart.  From  what  we  have  read 
of  the  written  oration,  we  judge  that  it  must  have  been  a 
fervent  and  effective  one.  It  breathes  the  spirit  of  a  true 
freeman ;  of  an  American,  with  a  heart  justly  and  purely 
exultant  in  view  of  his  country's  past  history  and  present 
position  among  the  nations,  and  with  broadest  and  most 
comprehensive  ideas  of  the  essentials  of  this  nation's  pros 
perity.  It  closes  with  an  admirable  comparison  of  the 
emotions  of  our  revolutionary  fathers  when  conscious  of 
their  escape  from  kingly  tyranny  and  the  enjoyment  of 
political  freedom ;  and  those  of  the  favored  ones,  who,  in 
the  later  "  Washingtonian  "  revolution,  had  been  deliv 
ered  from  the  reign  and  thraldom  of  intemperance,  and 
made  the  recipients  of  a  new  life,  and  an  unspeakable 

joy- 
In  August  the  Connecticut  Convention  of  Universalists 

held  its  annual  session  in  Hartford.     Seventeen  ministers 


MINISTRY  IN   HARTFORD.  163 

were  present,  and  the  meetings  for  two  days  were  well 
attended,  although  the  weather  was  unfavorable.  From 
the  published  reports  of  the  meeting,  we  judge  that  it 
must  have  been  one  of  much  interest.  In  October  he 
went,  in  company  with  his  companion,  on  a  visit  to  the 
north.  While  absent  from  home,  he  thus  writes  to  his 
co-editor  of  the  Universalist,  Rev.  M.  Sanford : 

"Montpelier,  Vt.,  Oct.  14,  1842.  — Br.  Sanford: 
Having  arrived  safely  at  the  capital  of  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  I  snatch  a  moment  from  my  busily 
occupied  time,  to  give  you  a  short  sketch  of  my  wan 
derings.  After  attending  the  funeral  of  E.  Alderman, 
Esq.,  of  Granby,  on  Thursday,  the  29th  of  Septem 
ber,  I  was  conveyed  by  a  friend  to  Westfield,  where 
I  took  the  cars  for  Springfield,  and  next  morning  for 
Boston.  There  I  met  many  of  '  the  brethren,'  and  in 
the  evening  had  the  pleasure  of  attending  Br.  Streeter's 
vestry  meeting.  On  the  following  morning  I  took  the 
cars  for  Concord,  N.  H.,  and  from  thence  by  stage  to 
Lebanon,  where  I  arrived  the  same  evening.  The  next 
day  I  had  the  pleasure  of  standing  in  my  old  and  famil 
iar  place,  and  of  addressing  the  people  of  God,  who 
assembled  to  hear  the  word.  And  then  came  the  greet 
ings,  and  the  smiles  and  the  tears,  the  calls  and  the 
visits,  with  all  classes  and  ages,  from  the  guileless  youth 
to  the  pilgrim  of  ninety  years,  the  healthful  and  the  gay, 
and  the  sick  and  the  disconsolate.  After  this  came  a 
grand  temperance  meeting,  where  I  had  the  unspeakable 
pleasure  of  addressing  a  large  multitude  in  my  own  way, 


164  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

after  having  listened  to  an  excellent  address  by  Mr. 
Marsh,  of-Roxbury,  Mass. 

"The  society  in  Lebanon,  now  destitute  of  a  minister, 
is  in  a  good  condition,  with  that  exception.  The  congre 
gation  was  large,  attentive,  and  devout, —  somewhat 
changed  within  the  last  two  years,  but  has  increased  in 
numbers,  and  will  undoubtedly  soon  settle  a  minister 
after  their  own  hearts,  one  who  shall  '  feed  them  with 
knowledge  and  understanding.' 

"  I  next  came  to  Strafford,  Vt.,  my  native  place ;  and, 
after  preaching  three  times  on  Sunday,  and  visiting  my 
relatives  and  friends  till  Thursday  morning,  took  the 
stage  for  this  place,  where  I  arrived,  in  good  health  and 
.spirits,  on  one  of  the  most  pleasant  days  I  ever  enjoyed. 
It  being  '  Election  Day,'  I  saw  a  multitude  of -people, 
with  many  of  whom  I  had  had  the  pleasure  of  an  acquaint 
ance.  I  am  to  go  out  to  Plainfield,  to  give  a  lecture, 
this  evening ;  and,  after  preaching  in  this  village  on  Sun 
day,  shall  turn  my  face  towards  my  own  happy  home, 
where  I  hope  to  arrive  on  Friday,  the  20th  inst. 

"The  cause  of  Universalism  is  steadily  gaining  in  the 
minds  of  the  people,  in  this  part  of  our  beloved  land.  I 
am  now  in  the  office  of  our  excellent  brother  and  co- 
laborer  in  the  cause  of  truth  and  human  happiness,  Rev. 
Eli  Ballou,  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Unwerscdlst 
Watchman.,  where  I  am  surrounded  with  brethren  of 
like  precious  faith.  I  hope  you  will  look  well  to  our 
little  sheet  till  I  return,  when  I  will  endeavor  to  do  my 
part  of  the  work." 


MINISTRY  IN  HARTFORD.  165 

He  was  absent  twenty  days,  during  which  time  he 
preached  twelve  sermons,  besides  attending  weddings  and 
funerals,  and  making  many  calls.  On  his  return,  he 
takes  occasion  to  speak  again  of  some  of  the  impressions 
of  his  journey.  In  a  published  article  he  mentions 
some  of  the  signs  of  improvement  which  cheered  him 
wherever  he  went,  and  also  of  the  unpleasant  sensations 
which  he  experienced  in  witnessing  the  workings  of  the 
"Miller"  delusion,  then  quite  prevalent  in  many  parts 
of  New  England. 

"  We  were  highly  gratified  to  observe  the  great  prog 
ress  which  temperance  and  Universalism  have  made,  and 
are  making,  in  those  portions  of  New  England  through 
which  we  passed.  There  is  '  very  much  land  to  be  pos 
sessed  '  yet,  in  these  respects,  but  the  work  of  improve 
ment  is  going  on.  The  people,  as  a  general  thing,  in 
those  sections  of  the  country  where  we  visited,  are  happy. 
Some  of  them,  of  course,  find  fault  with  '  the  times ; ' 
but,  with  an  abundance  of  everything  necessary  to  the 
support  of  both  man  and  beast,  no  one  ought  to  complain. 
Such  a  time  of  plenty  has  seldom  been  known.  But 
there  is  always  something  to  disturb  the  peace  of  more 
or  less  of  mankind,  even  in  times  of  plenty  and  of  present 
enjoyment.  Many  at  this  time,  in  all  parts  of  the  coun 
try,  are  filled  with  the  most  tormenting  fears  on  account 
of  the  silly  statements  made  by  the  believers  in  the  Miller 
delusion.  And  the  uncommon  fruitful  season  with  which 
Heaven  has  blessed  us  is,  by  many,  taken  as  one  of  the 
proofs  that  the  world  is  soon  to  be  destroyed.  Such  per- 


166  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

sons  will  have  many  positive  signs  of  the  coming  of  that 
dread  event.  If  the  crops  had  been  nearly  or  quite  all 
destroyed,  that,  of  course,  would  have  been  claimed  as 
evidence  of  the  end  of  the  world.  A  dry  time  is  a  sign, 
a  wet  season  is  a  sign  of  the  coming  of  the  same  event. 
If  uninterrupted  health  is  enjoyed  for  a  long  time,  in  the 
estimation  of  some  it  betokens  some  awful  calamity ;  and 
if  some  malignant  disease  sweeps  over  the  land,  prostrat 
ing  the  robust  and  the  gay,  it  is  a  sure  sign  of  something 
worse ;  all  of  which  evinces  a  want  of  that  strength  of 
mind,  and  that  confidence  in  the  wisdom,  and  goodness, 
and  power,  of  the  Divine  Ruler  of  all  worlds  and  beings, 
and  the  merciful  Disposer  of  all  events,  which  is  so  essen 
tial  to  present  peace  and  happiness. 

"  Our  Saviour  taught  mankind  to  enjoy  the  present, 
and  not  to  be  so  anxious  about  the  concerns  of  the  future 
as  to  render  them  unhappy  now ;  from  which  instruction 
we  may  be  assured  that  the  best  preparation  for  the 
future  is,  so  to  live  as  to  enjoy  the  present.  Cultivate 
such  views  of  God  and  his  government  as  are  best  calcu 
lated  to  induce  filial  love  to  him,  cheerful  obedience  to 
his  laws,  and  resignation  to  his  will,  which  is  the  basis 
of  human  happiness.  Let  us  all  strive  to  feel  as  did  the 
Psalmist  when  he  said,  '  The  Lord  shall  preserve  thy 
going  out  and  thy  coming  in  from  this  time  forth,  and 
even  forevermore.'  ' 

It  was  soon  after  his  return  from  this  journey  that  he 
received  an  invitation  from  his  friends  in  Lebanon  to 


MINISTKY  IN   HARTFORD.  167 

become  again  their  pastor.  But  he  did  not  see  it  con 
sistent  with  his  duty  to  accede  to  their  wishes. 

In  November  of  this  year  he  preached  in  the  state- 
prison  to  the  convicts.  His  subject  was,  The  Govern 
ment  of  God:  1,  as  Paternal;  2,  as  Universal;  3,  as 
Perfect;  4,  as  Merciful.  He  'seems  to  have  enjoyed 
this  interview  with  those  erring  ones  of  the  race,  afford 
ing  him,  as  it  did,  an  opportunity  of  leading  their  minds 
to  the  contemplation  of  that  character  which  even  they 
were  called  upon  to  imitate,  and  in  which  they  might 
find  attractions  to  purity  and  uprightness  of  life. 

He  designed  also  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  the 
prisoners  the  fact  that  the  punishment  which  they  en 
dured  was  not  designed  to  be  retaliatory ;  that  their  good, 
as  well  as  the  safety  of  society,  is  the  object  of  the  laws, 
requiring  the  obedience  of  all,  and  the  punishing  of  those 
who  transgress  them ;  that  if  the  public  could  feel  assured 
that  they  had  reformed,  that  there  was  no  danger  of  a 
repetition  of  crime  by  them,  their  prison-doors  would  be 
at  once  thrown  open,  and  they  be  restored  to  light  and 
liberty.  In  a  notice  of  this  visit  to  the  prison,  published 
in  the  Universalist,  he  takes  occasion  to  speak  thus 
wisely  respecting  the  just  treatment  of  criminals  while  in 
prison,  and  the  compassion  which  should  follow  them 
when  they  have  served  out  their  time  there,  and  are 
turned  out  upon  the  world  : 

"The  perfect  neatness  and  order  which  is  here  ob 
served,  the  attention  which  is  paid  to  the  health  and 
morals  of  the  convicts,  reflect  honor  on  the  state,  and  on 


168  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

the  officers  of  the  institution,  and  show  a  wonderful  im 
provement  in  this  important  department  of  our  govern 
ment.  But  we  ought  not  to  stop  here.  There  is  yet 
room  for  improvement.  The  only  difference  in  the  pun 
ishment  required  by  our  present  regulations,  between 
those  who  are  committed  for  capital  offences  and  such  as 
in  a  fit  of  intoxication  may  have  stolen  a  horse,  or  by 
the  influence  of  some  old  sinner  have  been  led  to  join  in 
the  breaking  open  a  shop  for  the  purpose  of  taking  there 
from  some  trifling  article,  consists  simply  in  the  time  of 
service.  There  is,  if  we  have  been  correctly  informed, 
no  other  difference  in  regard  to  the  degrees  of  punish 
ment  there  inflicted.  Might  not  some  improvement  be 
made  in  this  respect  ?  Might  not  a  system  of  classifica 
tion  be  successfully  adopted,  for  the  purpose  of  propor 
tioning  the  punishment  to  the  magnitude  of  the  offence, 
as  well  as  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging  reformation  ? 
"When  a  convict  has  served  his  term  of  imprisonment 
faithfully,  and  perhaps  has  earned  the  state  considerably 
more  than  his  expenses,  ought  he  to  be  turned  out  into 
the  cold  world  poorly  clad,  with  a  few  shillings  in  his 
pocket?" 

Some  time  in  this  month  he  assisted  in  the  formation 
of  a  Home  Missionary  Society,  of  which  he  was  made 
treasurer.  He  had  a  very  strong  desire  that  this  enter 
prise  should  grow  and  become  a  permanent  one  among 
the  Universalists  of  Connecticut,  and  of  all  our  states. 
He  writes  of  it : 

"We  do  not  expect  to  revolutionize  this  part  of  the 


MINISTRY   IN  HARTFORD.  169 

world  in  a  moment ;  neither  do  we  expect  that  the  glorious 
truth  of  the  final  holiness  and  consequent  happiness  of 
'  all  who  die  in  Adam '  will  be  brought  home  to  the  un 
derstanding  and  the  heart,  independent  of  the  use  of  the 
appointed  means.  And,  although  the  means  at  our  com 
mand  are  small,  and  although  the  employment  of  them 
may  bring  upon  us  the  labor  and  reproach  which  attend 
ed  the  apostles,  '  because  they  trusted  in  the  living  God 
who  is  the  Saviour  of  all  men,'  yet  we  cannot  feel  jus 
tified  only  as  we  use  the  means  in  our  power  to  promote 
what  we  believe  to  be  the  cause  of  God's  truth  and  man's 
happiness.  We  feel  very  confident  that  there  are  means 
within  our  borders,  which,  if  called  forth  by  the  united 
action  of  our  friends,  would  do  vastly  more  for  the  ad 
vancement  of  the  cause  of  Gospel  truth  than  has  hitherto 
been  done.  There  has  been  a  great  lack  of  concert  in 
this  Avork,  as  well  as  lack  of  action, —  too  much  despising 
of  the  day  of  small  things,  too  little  zeal  and  engaged- 
ness  in  the  work.  And  to  remove  these,  and  similar 
evils,  is  the  object  of  those  who  have  put  their  hands  to 
this  work." 

On  the  evening  of  December  25th  of  this  year  he  de 
livered  a  Christmas  discourse  in  his  church,  which  was 
afterwards  published  in  the  Universalist.  His  text  was 
Isaiah  9  :  7, — "  Of  the  increase  of  his  government  and 
peace  there  shall  be  no  end."  After  a  very  clear  state 
ment  of  the  ancient  predictions  concerning  the  Messiah, 
his  character  and  office,  and  of  his  actual  appearing  in 
Jesus  Christ,  he  speaks  of  the  kingdom  which  he  came 
15 


170  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

to  establish  upon  the  earth.  "  Christ  always  comes  in 
his  kingdom.  His  empire  is  mind  —  all  minds,  the  -whole 
human  creation.  It  is  not  with  confusion  and  bloody 
strife  :  in  the  terrors  of  the  tempest,  in  the  upheaving 
earthquake,  nor  in  the  thunders  of  Sinai :  but  in  the  '  still 
small  voice '  of  love  and  mercy  speaking  to  the  conscience 
and  heart ;  calling  the  sinner  away  from  his  sins ;  impart 
ing  to  all  who  will  listen  needed  instruction,  inward 
strength  to  resist  temptation,  and  enabling  them  to  over 
come  evil  with  good.  Its  coming,  too,  is  as  the  light  of 
day.  The  adaptation  of  light  to  the  organs  of  vision,  its 
revealing,  attractive,  diffusive,  and  universal  genius,  is 
strikingly  illustrative  of  the  nature  and  coming  of  the 
everlasting  kingdom  of  the  Messiah.  As  light  is  adapted 
to  the  organs  of  vision  in  all  creatures  possessing  these 
organs,  so  the  light  of  that  glorious  truth  which  came  by 
Jesus  Christ  is  adapted  to  man's  moral  nature  every 
where." 

Of  the  principles  of  this  kingdom  he  says : 
"Again,  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  coming  of  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  was,  and  is,  and  will  continue  to  be, 
the  coming  of  the  principles  of  righteousness,  and  peace, 
and  joy ;  for  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God.  When  we 
take  into  consideration  the  condition  of  our  race,  scattered 
over  the  face  of  the  globe,  we  see  at  once  the  folly  of 
the  idea  of  the  personal  coming  of  Christ  in  his  kingdom ; 
but,  if  we  adopt  the  rational  view  of  the  subject,  we  can 
see  how  that  kingdom  can  come  in  all  parts  of  the  world 
at  one  and  the  same  time,  as  the  light  of  truth  and  the 


MINISTRY   IN  HARTFORD.  171 

influence  of  love  may  shine  upon  the  minds  and  affect  the 
hearts  of  such  as  are  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  globe  at 
the  same  time.  Also,  that  those  who  may  occupy  the 
same  room,  or  even  the  same  seat,  may  be  very  differently 
.affected,  as  they  may  receive  or  reject  the  Saviour.  Only 
keep  in  view  the  fact  that  mind  is  the  empire  of  Jesus, 
and  that  individual  minds  may  be  very  differently  affected 
while  the  outward  condition  is  the  same ;  also,  that  where 
righteousness  and  peace  and  joy  reign  there  reigns 
Christ,  and  all  seeming  difficulty  or  doubt  in  regard  to 
the  coming  of  Christ,  and  the  nature  of  his  kingdom,  will 
vanish." 

Also,  of  the  similitudes  setting  forth  this  kingdom,  he 
remarks : 

"  The  kingdom  of  Christ  is  represented,  as  is  supposed 
by  the  prophet,  under  the  similitude  of  a  stone  cut  out 
without  hands,  becoming  a  great  mountain,  and  filling 
the  whole  earth.  And  when  Jesus  himself  spake  of  the 
progress  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  he  compared  it  to  a 
grain  of  mustard-seed,  which  is  small  indeed,  but  which 
at  length  produces  a  tree,  in  whose  spreading  branches 
the  fowls  of  the  air  might  rest. 

"And  again,  to  the  operation  of  leaven  on  the  meal, 
which,  in  its  diffusive,  silent,  and  universal  effects,  is  em 
blematic  of  the  progress  of  the  kingdom  of  '  righteousness, 
peace,  and  joy,'  in  the  human  mind.  In  the  progress  of 
society,  from  a  state  of  ignorance,  barbarism,  and  idolatry, 
up  to  the  present  state  of  knowledge,  civilization,  and 
the  true  worship  of  God,  may  be  traced  the  progress  of 


172  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

the  kingdom  of  Christ.  Every  degree  in  the  progress 
of  civilization  and  refinement  of  manners  prepares  the 
iray  for  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  the  im 
provement  in  morals  and  religion,  and  consequent  happi 
ness.  All  of  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  this  age,  and 
all  past  ages ;  every  philanthropic  pulsation  that  beats  in 
the  great  human  heart,  or  individual  hearts ;  every  in 
creased  emotion  of  kindness  in  the  bosom  of  man  toward 
his  fellow-man;  and  every  additional  desire  which  is 
experienced  by  any  of  the  children  of  men  to  possess 
more  and  more  of  the  spirit  of  Christ,  is  an  evidence  of 
the  progress  of  the  kingdom  of  our  Divine  Lord  and 
Master." 

And,  once  more,  of  the  final  triumph  of  his  kingdom : 
"  The  triumph  of  Christ's  kingdom  will  be  complete, 
when  he  shall  have  put  down  all  rule,  authority,  and 
power,  which  is  opposed  to  the  spirit  and  principles  of  his 
government,  that  {  God  may  be  all  in  all.'  This  blessed 
state  of  things  is  contemplated  in  the  mission  of  Christ. 
To  save  the  world  from  sin.  as  we  have  seen,  was  the 
glorious  object  of  his  mission,  the  accomplishment  of 
which  will  secure  his  final  triumph.  All  of  those 
promises,  predictions,  and  declarations  of  scripture,  which 
relate  to  the  nature,  object,  progress,  and  triumph,  of 
the  kingdom  of  Christ,  go  to  confirm  the  mind  in  the 
belief  of  that  all-glorious  and  most  desirable  sentiment, 
of  the  final  destruction  of  all  sin.  the  redemption  and 
immortal  glorification  of  all  mankind  in  heaven.  This 
all-sustaining  sentiment  is  perfectly  consistent  with  the 


MINISTRY   IN  HAETFOBD.  173 

nature  of  the  Gospel  kingdom,  ^and  the  figures  by  which 
its  power 'and  progress  is  illustrated  by  the  inspired 
writers.  It  is  a  kingdom  of  light,  which  shows  its  power 
to  dispel  all  darkness ;  it  is  a  kingdom  of  righteousness, 
which  shows  its  power  to  triumph  over  its  opposite ;  it  is 
a  kingdom  of  truth  and  grace,  which  is  incontestable  proof 
that  it  will  beat  in  pieces  and  destroy  all  error  and  sin ; 
it  is  a  kingdom  of  good- will  to  men,  which  proves  that  it 
will  overcome  all  evil ;  it  is  a  kingdom  of  peace,  'and-will 
consequently  subdue  all  discord  and  strife ;  it  is  a  king 
dom  of  joy,  which  is  destined  to  cause  sorrow  and  sighing 
to  flee  away ;  finally,  it  is  an  immortal  kingdom,  and,  as 
all  other  kingdoms,  and  principles,  and  powers,  save  the 
kingdom  of  God  and  the  principles  which  emanate  from 
him,  are  wanting  in  the  principle  of  immortality,  and  are 
essentially  mortal,  we  have  the  strongest  possible  assur 
ance  of  the  final  and  glorious  triumph  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ,  and  that  '  of  the  increase  of  his  government  and 
peace  there  shall  be  no  end.' ' 

At  the  close  of  this  year  he  makes  allusion  again  to 
the  effects  of  the  "second  advent"  excitement  in  Con 
necticut  and  elsewhere ;  the  history  of  which  is  only  a 
repetition,  with  certain  variations  suited  to  the  times,  of 
what  has  been  realized  in  other  years,  and  by  other  mor 
tals  who  have  grounded  their  faith  in  the  sudden  and 
near  advent,  on  the  erroneous  supposition  that  Christ  has 
never  made  his  second  manifestation,  according  to  his  own 
declarations,  as  they  are  so  plainly  given  in  the  Gospel. 
15* 


174  MEMOIK   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

The  excitements  which  have,  from  time  to  time,  during 
the  last  fifteen  years,  been  raised  and  kept  alive,  founded 
on  the  apprehension  of  a  speedy  personal  coming  of 
Christ  to  our  world,  and  the  destruction  of  the  present 
order  of  material  things  in  it,  have  a  cause ;  and  this 
cause  is  not  confined  to  such  as  are  distinctively  termed 
in  these  days  "second  adventists."  It  exists  quite  as 
much  with  other  Christian  sects,  who  have  held,  in  sub 
stance,  the  same  general  doctrine  respecting  Christ's  per 
sonal  coming,  and  that,  perhaps,  at  no  far-distant  day. 
Until  different  views  prevail,  views  more  consistent  with 
the  New  Testament  teachings,  the  second  advent  doctrine, 
as  we  hear  of  it  repeatedly  in  these  days,  will  have  its  new 
advocates  ;  and  new  years,  and  months,  and  days,  will  be 
appointed  for  the  advent,  as  old  appointments  are  seen  to 
fail.  On  the  eagerness  with  which  some  other  Christians 
beside  "Millerites"  appropriated  this  delusion  to  subserve 
some  of  their  sectarian  interests,  Mr.  Moore  writes,  in  a 
latter  to  a  friend  :  "  We  have  had  a  great  excitement  on 
what  is  called  religion.  But  I  fear  that  the  true  religion 
is  wanting  in  much  of  it.  There  are  those  who  have  not 
a  particle  of  faith  in  the  Miller  delusion,  who  yet,  because 
they  can  frighten  weak-minded  men  and  women,  and 
little  children,  will  wink  at  the  folly,  saying,  '  It  is  best 
to  be  prepared  ; '  as  though,  if  the  world  is  to  remain,  no 
matter  how  satanic  the  people  act !  "  Again  he  says,  in 
an  editorial  article  on  this  subject :  "  There  is  a  single  fact 
which  would  go  far  in  my  mind  against  the  idea  that  Mr. 
Miller  knows  anything  more  about  the  fulfilment  of  the 


MINISTRY  IN   HARTFORD.  175 

prophecies  than  others,  even  on  the  supposition  that  they 
relate  to  such  a  destruction  as '  he  claims  that  they  do  ; 
which,  by  the  way,  is  very  questionable,  to  say  the  least. 
It  has  always  been  as  important  that  each  individual  and 
generation  of  our  race  should  have  known  the  precise 
year  of  their  death,  as  that  any  one  generation  should 
have  that  knowledge,  that  they  might  have  been  induced 
thereby  '  to  prepare  for  eternity,'  which  is  the  professed 
object  of  those  who  advocate  Millerism.  The  fact  to 
which  I  referred  is  this,  namely,  God  has  not  seen  fit  to 
reveal  to  mankind  the  particular  year  or  day  of  their 
death,  notwithstanding  the  salutary  influence  such  reve 
lation  might,  according  to  present  assertions,  have  had  in 
saving  them  from  future  endless  ruin.  If,  therefore,  the 
world  is  to  end  in  1843,  or  any  subsequent  period,  we 
have  no  evidence  for  believing  that  any  one  has  been  'let 
into  the  secret '  as  to  the  precise  time ;  neither  is  it  at 
all  certain  that  the  scriptures  used  by  Mr.  Miller  and 
others,  to  support  their  visionary  theory,  have  any  sort 
of  reference  to  the  subjects  to  which  they  apply  them. 

"  The  better  way  is,  for  people  to  attend  to  the  con 
cerns  of  to-day,  of  the  present ;  '  do  justly,  love  mercy, 
and  walk  humbly ; '  'lead  a  quiet  and  peaceable  life,  in  all 
godliness  and  honesty ; '  give  heed  to  the  internal  coming 
and  kingdom  of  Christ,  and  not  be  in  a  worry  about  the 
'  end  of  the  world,'  or  about  the  day  or  manner  of  our 
death.  And  this  not  through  fear  of  burning,  freezing, 
or  drowning,  if  we  do  not  observe  these  rules,  but  from  a 


176  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOOKE. 

sense  of  duty  to  our  God,  to  ourselves,  and  neighbors." 
Sensible  advice,  indeed. 

As  the  theory  of  Mr.  Miller,  and  others  like  it  still 
advocated,  tend  to  show  the  absurdity  of  the  old  ideas 
concerning  the  personal  coming  of  Christ,  —  as  it  is  only 
the  setting  on  fire  of  materials  which  the  Christian  world 
had  long  had  on  hand,  —  it  cannot  be  otherwise  than 
that  out  of  its  evil  good  should  come.  It  will  open  many 
eyes  to  search  for  the  true  doctrine  of  the  coming  and 
reign  of  Christ  with  man.  That  the  delusion  is  some 
what  fatal  to  the  opinions  of  the  popular  church  on  this 
subject,  has  been  unhesitatingly  declared.  "This  style 
of  interpretation,"  says  the  New  York  Evangelist,  "we 
assert,  tends  fearfully  to  Universalism.  This  tendency 
we  are  prepared  to  prove."  An  encouraging  concession, 
notwithstanding  the  fears  of  the  writer. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MINISTRY  IN  HAKTFORD. 

THE  third  year  (1843)  of  the  ministry  of  our  brother 
in  Hartford  began  on  the  Sabbath  day.  The  subject  of 
his  discourse  in  the  morning  was  drawn  from  the  words 
of  the  Psalmist, —  "We  spend  our  years  as  a  tale  that  is 
told."  In  the  afternoon  the  communion  service  was 
observed,  and  in  the  evening  he  lectured  on  the  judgment 
of  Christ.  He  writes  in  his  journal :  "  This  has  been  a 
happy  day.  God  be  praised  for  his  goodness.  May  I  be 
guided  by  his  spirit  through  the  year." 

Some  time  in  January  of  this  year  he  received  an  invi 
tation  from  the  Universalist  society  in  Concord,  N.  H., 
to  visit  and  officiate  for  them  as  a  candidate  for  settle 
ment  ;  but  he  declined.  In  February  one  of  his  Sunday 
evening  lectures  was  a  reply  to  certain  statements  made 
by  Dr.  Hawes,  of  Hartford,  and  others,  against  Unita 
rians  and  Universalists.  In  March  he  enjoyed  the 
annual  visit  of  the  members  of  his  society,  and  of  the 
children  of  the  society  and  congregation,  at  his  house. 


178  MEMOIK   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

He  thus  speaks  of  it :  "  Such  visits  are  very  gratifying 
and  useful ;  as  by  them  the  members  of  a  congregation 
are  made  acquainted  with  each  other,  their  social  nature 
is  cultivated,  and  the  heart  of  the  minister  is  encouraged, 
as  he  is  assured  of  the  interest  which  his  parishioners  feel 
in  his  welfare.  And  such  a  visit  as  that  of  the  children 
is  seldom  enjoyed.  So  many  miniature  men  and  women 
together  —  their  artless  appearance,  their  guileless  chit 
chat,  their  frolicsome  and  innocent  glee,  their  excellent 
behavior,  and  their  apparent  happiness — could  not  fail  to 
awaken  the  most  pleasant  emotions  in  the  minds  of  all 
who  love  this  interesting  portion  of  the  great  Shepherd 
of  the  flock." 

In  May  he  was  quite  interested  in  a  course  of  lectures 
given  in  his  church,  by  Rev.  D.  West,  on  the  Evidences 
of  Christianity.  He  speaks  of  the  lectures  in  high  terms. 
It  was  in  this  month  that  he  gave  an  evening  lecture  on 
the  subject  of  capital  punishment.  Much  to  his  satisfac 
tion,  most  of  the  members  of  the  state  legislature  were 
present. 

In  answer  to  a  question  not  unfrequently  starting  up 
for  new  thought  and  solution,  "Does  crime  increase?  " 
he  has  the  following  observations  in  the  Universalist  of 
June  10th : 

"  Does  crime  increase  ?  This  question  is  answered  in 
the  affirmative  by  those  who  take  the  position  that  the 
morals  of  the  people  are  growing  more  and  more  corrupt. 
If  such  is  the  fact,  we  should  be  alarmed,  and  set  our 
selves  immediately  to  work  in  order  to  discover  the  cause 


MINISTRY  IN   HARTFORD.  179 

of  it.  Those  who  take  this  view  of  the  subject  more  than 
intimate  that  this  increase  of  crime  and  laxity  of  morals 
of  which  they  complain,  is  the  result  of  the  lenient  meas 
ures  and  laws  which  have  been  enacted  and  adopted  by 
the  law-making  power.  They  contend  that  the  more 
severe  the  laws,  and  the  more  rigorously  they  are  exe 
cuted,  the  more  moral  the  people  will  be. 

"  That  there  has  been  a  very  great  change  in  the  laws 
from  severity  to  mercy,  within  the  last  half-century, 
none  will  dispute ;  and  if  crime  and  immorality  have 
increased  during  that  time,  it  may  be  well  to  inquire 
whether  the  law-making  power  has  not  been  mistaken  in 
regard  to  the  influence  of  lenient  measures  for  the  sup 
pression  of  crime.  But  the  position  taken  should  be 
established  by  reference  to  the  facts  in  the-  case,  before 
we  take  any  retrograde  steps  in  legislation. 

"Is  it,  then,  true  that  crime  and  all  sorts  of  immor 
ality  are  on  the  increase  ?  Does  vice  preponderate  over 
virtue  ?  Is  there  more  dishonesty  and  fraud  than  honesty 
and  sincerity  in  the  world  ?  In  short,  is  there  more  evil 
than  good  ?  The  superficial  thinker  will  say  that  these 
questions,  painful  as  is  the  fact,  must  be  answered  in  the 
affirmative.  But  those  who  look  beneath  the  surface  of 
things,  those  who  think  deeply  on  the  subject,  and  take 
into  consideration  all  the  facts  in  the  case,  will  come  to 
a  very  different  conclusion.  Several  things  should  be 
taken  into  consideration  in  making  up  our  minds  on  this 
subject.  The  difference  in  the  population  between  the 
present  time  and  fifty  years  since.  Then,  the  great 


180  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

amount  of  crime  committed  by  foreigners,  who,  coming 
from  countries  where  the  laws  were  severe,  and  they  kept 
in  ignorance,  have  felt  for  the  time  that  they  were  at 
liberty  here  to  do  as  they  pleased.  Then,  again,  the  fact  - 
that  the  press  seizes  upon  every  crime  that  is  committed, 
and,  painting  it  in  the  most  glowing  colors,  and  giving  it 
to  the  world,  runs  it  through  a  hundred  papers,  when 
fifty  years  hence  it  would  have  been  seen  in  but  one ;  the 
facilities  of  communication,  by  which  the  whole  country 
live,  as  it  were,  in  the  same  neighborhood ;  these,  and  other 
circumstances,  cause  many  to  err  exceedingly  in  view  of 
the  supposed  increase  of  crime.  Crime  is  noisy :  obe 
dience  to  the  laws,  quiet  The  transgressions  of  men  are 
published  to  the  world,  while  the  many  acts  of  obedience 
are  not  noticed. 

"  Take  a  single  city  or  a  village  as  an  example.  If 
any  vicious  act  is  performed,  even  the  most  trivial,  if  it 
is  contrary  only  to  the  rules  of  decorum,  and  not  criminal 
in  the  eyes  of  the  law,  the  whole  populace  are  forthwith 
informed  of  it,  and  it  becomes  a  'town's  talk.'  But  a 
thousand  acts  of  civility  and  kindness  are  performed  in 
the  same  city,  and  no  flaming  newspaper  paragraph  is 
written ;  nothing  is  said  by  any  one  about  those  acts. 
And  why  ?  Because  they  are  the  common  every-day 
occurrences.  We  pass  a  man  on  some  narrow  walk,  and 
he  does  not  insult  us ;  and  do  we  stop  the  first  friend  we 
meet  to  relate  to  him  the  fact  ?  We  sleep  quietly  through 
the  night,  undisturbed  by  the  noise  of  the  burglar ;  and 
do  we  report  the  feet  to  the  editor  of  the  morning  paper, 


MINISTRY  IN   HARTFORD.  181 

that  the  whole  city  may  know  it  ?  No.  The  virtues  of 
mankind  are  not  published  to  the  world,  while  every 
crime  and  sin  that  is  committed,  if  at  all  uncommon,  is 
published  as  on  the  wings  of  the  wind. 

"  Of  the  fifty  thousand  husbands  and  wives  in  this 
state  who  live  quietly  and  happily  together  in  that  most 
endearing  connection,  not  a  word  is  published  concerning 
it.  But  if  one  case  occurs  where  serious  difficulty  is 
experienced,  the  whole  state  is  apprised  of  the  fact.  It 
is  questionable  whether  the  present  practice  of  giving 
publicity  to  all  the  immoralities  and  crimes  which  stain 
the  page  of  human  history,  conduces  to  the  improvement 
of  society.  We  very  much  doubt  the  utility  of  the  prac 
tice.  Especially  do  we  deprecate  the  practice,  which  pre 
vails  to  no  little  extent,  of  exaggerating  such  accounts, 
as  many  editors  have  done,  for  the  sake  of  '  telling  a 
smart  story.'  If  it  were  the  practice  to  publish  accounts 
of  good  deeds  as  much  as  of  bad  ones,  taany  would 
change  their  opinion  in  regard  to  the  increase  of  crime." 

He  expressed  a  very  strong  interest,  about  this  time, 
in  a  new  family  prayer-book  which  had  made  its  appear 
ance  from  the  press.*  He  sought  diligently  to  make  his 
own  people  acquainted  with  it  "Its  utility,"  he  writes, 
"  can  hardly  be  doubted  by  any  one  whose  mind  can  rise 
above  the  prejudices  of  education.  We  hope  it  will  find 
its  way  into  each  family  of  Universalists,  at  least,  and  be 

*  Family  Worship  ;  containing  Reflections  and  Prayers  for  Domestic 
Devotion.  By  Rev.  Otis  A.  Skinner.  Boston  ;  published  by  A.  Tomp- 
kins  and  B.  B.  Mussey. 

16 


182  MEMOIE   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

the  means  of  improving  the  hearts  of  all  who  may  read 
6r  hear  it  read."  Another  affirmation,  this,  of  his  desire 
to  have  the  social  blessings  of  our  faith  enjoyed :  to  have 
in  our  families  and  homes  the  domestic  altar,  consecrated 
to  the  daily  worship-service  of  the  Father  of  all. 

In  July  he  preached  in  Bloomfield  a  message  such  as 
the  people  of  that  town  had  never  heard  before.  It  was 
a  message  in  full :  that  message  with  which  the  angels 
came  for  "all  people."  It  was  received  with  much  joy. 
On  the  twelfth  of  August  he  left  home  for  Philadelphia. 
On  his  return  he  attended  the  Connecticut  Convention  of 
Universalists,  at  Danbury.  In  consequence  of  heavy 
rains  on  days  preceding  the  convention,  there  was  not  a 
large  representation,  by  delegates,  of  societies  from  a  dis 
tance.  The  public  services,  however,  were  well  attended; 
and  the  meeting,  as  a  whole,  was  one  of  more  than  usual 
interest. 

Of  this  visit  to  Philadelphia  he  writes :  "  We  enjoyed 
the  pleasure  of  spending  the  second  and  third  Sundays 
in  August  in  Philadelphia,  on  exchange  with  brother 
T.  D.  Cook,  pastor  of  the  Callowhill-street  Church.  No 
one  can  visit  that  beautiful  city,  especially  if  they  have 
the  good  fortune,  like  us,  to  have  many  warm-hearted 
friends  there,  without  enjoying  a  rich  treat.  There  is  so 
much  in  that  city  and  the  surrounding  country  to  interest 
the  visitor,  and  such  a  generous  spirit  exhibited  by  its  cit 
izens  towards  the  stranger,  that  one  cannot  fail  of  feeling 
at  home  in  their  midst,  and  of  enjoying  life  most  fully. 

"  In  addition  to  what  we  had  seen  on  a  previous  visit 


MINISTRY   IN   HARTFORD.  183 

there  two  years  since,  bj  the  kindness  of  a  friend,  and  the 
politeness  of  the  officers  of  the  government,  we  were  ad 
mitted  to  the  Eastern  Penitentiary,  the  House  of  Refuge, 
and  the  Alms-house.  From  what  we  saw  and  heard, 
and  from  reflection  upon  the  subject,  we  have  no  hesita 
tion  in  giving  the  Eastern  Penitentiary  the  preference 
over  all  other  prisons  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge, 
as  to  the  mode  of  punishment.  There  can  hardly  be  a 
doubt,  as  it  appears  to  us,  that  '  solitary  confinement' 
exerts  a  more  salutary  influence  on  the  morals  of  the 
prisoner  than  the  course  pursued  in  other  prisons. 
Many  startle  at  .the  idea  of  '  solitary  confinement,'  as 
though  the  prisoner  was  confined  in  a  narrow,  dark  cell, 
where  he  sees  no  one,  has  no  exercise,  is  not  spoken  to, 
speaks  to  no  one,  has  no  books,  and  is  poorly  fed.  But 
when  it  is  known  that  in  that  prison  each  cell  is  suffi 
ciently  large  for  a  work-shop  and  sleeping-room,  well 
lighted  and  ventilated,  with  pure  water  always  at  hand, 
with  a  yard  as  large  as  the  cell  in  the  open  air,  where 
exercise  is  allowed  each  day ;  that  the  food  is  far  more 
desirable  than  that  of  very  many  "of  the  inhabitants  in 
our  cities;  that  the  prisoners  see  and  converse  with 
the  physician,  warden,  and  keepers;  that  the  moral 
instructor  visits  each  prisoner  when  he  pleases,  to  con 
verse  with  and  instruct  him  ;  'that  the  Bible  is  placed  in 
each  cell ;  a  circulating  library  is  kept  for  the  use  of  the 
prisoners ;  that  they  hear  preaching  frequently  from  the 
different  clergymen  of  the  city ;  and,  besides  doing  the 
task  set  them,  an  active  man  may  easily  earn  twenty 


184  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

dollars  a  year  by  over- work,  which  is  his  when  he  leaves ; 
—  when  all  these  things  are  taken  into  the  account,  the 
idea  of  such  '  solitary  confinement '  is  not  so  dreadful.. 
And  it  is  a  question  which  is  deserving  of  serious  consid 
eration,  whether  one  year's  confinement,  on  this  plan,  so 
far  as  regards  the  legitimate  objects  of  punishment,  would 
not  do  more  good  than  three  years  on  the  other  plan. 

' :  The  House  of  Refuge  is  a  very  large  establishment 
for  juvenile  offenders,  conducted  somewhat  on  the  princi 
ple  of  our  state-prison,  with  the  addition  of  a  school, 
and  as  much  liberty  within  the  walls  as  is  judged  con 
sistent  with  the  object,  which  is  the  reformation  of  its 
inmates. 

"The  Alms-house  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  Schuyl- 
kill,  and  is  built  on  a  magnificent  scale  —  capable  of 
accommodating  nearly  three  thousand  persons,  all  at  the 
expense  of  the  county  and  city  of  Philadelphia.  Every 
thing  in  each  of  these  institutions  presents  an  appearance 
of  neatness,  and  as  much  humanity  as  could  be  expected." 

Since  the  death  of  Mr.  Moore.  Rev.  James  Gallager, 
ofMeriden,  Ct,  has  penned  the  following  reminiscences 
of  the  man,  and  of  a  ride  in  company  with  him  to  the 
convention  at  Danbury : 

' '  I  shall  never  forget  my  first  acquaintance  with  him  ; 
it  was  in  August,  1843.  The  State  Convention  of  Con 
necticut  was  to  hold  its  session  at  Danbury.  Br.  Moore, 
Br.  L.  B.  Mason,  and  myself,  being  in  New  York  on  a 
visit,  concluded  to  attend  the  convention.  Arriving  at 
Bridgeport  in  the  steamer,  a  cold,  heavy  rain  set  in,  and 


MINISTRY  IN   HARTFORD.  185 

the  only  conveyance  to  Danbury  was  by  what  might  be 
called  a  Jersey  wagon  and  two  horses.  The  wagon  had 
at  one  time  boasted  a  set  of  curtains,  but  at  this  time 
only  the  remnants  were  hanging  in  strips  from  the  top, 
just  sufficient  to  enable  the  rain  very  conveniently  to  run 
down  them  upon  the  passengers,  wetting  us  completely 
through.  But  there  was  no  other  alternative;  go  we 
must  in  that  conveyance  and  that  heavy  rain,  or  not  go 
at  all.  We  mounted  the  wagon,  and  during  that  long, 
wet  ride,  the  horses  going  about  four  or  five  miles  an 
hour,  Br.  Moore  poured  forth  a  fund  of  anecdote  and 
humor,  so  perfectly  natural  to  him ;  took  it  so  good-na 
turedly  and  philosophically  himself,  inspiring  us  with  the 
same  feeling  and  spirit;  drew  so  many  hearty  laughs 
from  the  whole  company  (one  or  two  strangers  being 
with  us),  that  we  almost  forgot  the  hydraulic  process  we 
were  undergoing.  Those  strips  of  curtains  hanging  at  one 
side,  with  the  rain  pouring  from  them  upon  us,  together 
with  the  whole  appearance  of  the  wagon,  company, 
etc.,  afforded  such  subjects  for  merriment,  that  we  con 
cluded  that  it  was  much  pleasanter  and  more  poetic  than 
riding  in  railroad-cars,  whirling  with  lightning  speed 
through  the  country,  unable  to  see  or  enjoy  the  beauties 
of  the  way.  Old  dame  Nature  was  getting  a  good  duck 
ing,  and  we  could  see  the  process.  In  fact,  we  all  con 
cluded  that  we  had  not  had,  for  a  long  time,  such  a  pleas 
ant  ride ;  we  richly  enjoyed  it.  To  Br.  Moore  we  were, 
in  a  very  great  measure,  indebted  for  the  pleasantness  of 
that  ride ;  to  his  Christian  philosophy,  his  good-nature, 
-16* 


186  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

his  disposition  not  to  fret  or  worry,  but  to  take  things 
easily,  and  make  the  sun  shine  within,  though  it  might 
storm  without.  Such  was  his  general  character,  I  be 
lieve.  Yet  no  man  was  more  prudent,  more  becoming, 
more  serious  in  his  manner,  on  all  proper  occasions. 
These  things  added  force  to  his  preaching,  while  his 
whole  life  was  an  example  to  the  believers,  and  his  min 
istry  a  blessing." 

The  return  of  Mr.  Moore  to  his  home,  at  the  conclu 
sion  of  this  journey,  was  marked  by  a  demonstration 
among  the  most  welcome  and  delighting  of  any  that  he 
could  have  imagined.  His  interest  in  the  Sabbath-school, 
and  in  all  the  "little  ones"  of  his  flocks,  we  have  had 
occasion  to  notice  in  other  pages  of  this  memoir.  He 
loved  his  Hartford  children,  and  was  dearly  loved  by 
them.  And  so,  during  his  absence  this  season,  the  pupils 
of  his  Sabbath-school  determined  upon  receiving  him,  on 
his  return,  with  some  expression  of  affectionate  regard. 
They  resolved  to  meet  at  the  church  on  the  day  of  his 
return,  each  bringing  a  gift  of  flowers.  They  met  as 
agreed  upon,  and  four  large  and  very  rich  bouquets  were 
prepared  by  the  young  ladies  of  the  Bible-class  and  some 
of  the  teachers,  from  flowers  brought  by  the  children. 
The  members  of  the  school  having  arranged  themselves 
in  order  in  the  middle  aisle  of  the  church,  the  pastor  was 
introduced  by  the  superintendent,  and  received  by  one 
of  the  scholars,  Miss  Jane  Squires,  with  the  following 
address,  written  for  the  occasion  by  Miss  Mary  Ann 
Dodd: 


MINISTRY   IN   HARTFORD.  187 


THE  WELCOME  HOME. 

To  the  sailor  on  the  stormy  main, 
And  the  traveller  o'er  the  desert  plain  ; 
To  all  who  turn  on  a  homeward  track, 
Sweet  ia  the  thought  of  a  welcome  back. 

And  the  hearts  at  home  impatient  burn 
For  the  coming  hour  of  a  friend's  return  : 
And  smiles  of  love,  and  words  of  joy, 
Shall  sweetly  that  golden  hour  employ. 

Pastor  and  Friend,  though  short  thy  stay 
From  home  and  thy  little  flock  away, 
We  joy  that  those  parting  days  are  o'er, 
That  we  look  on  thy  pleasant  face  once  more. 

Our  hearts  are  glad,  and  we  bring  thee  flowers 
Culled  in  the  waving  summer  hours  : 
Each  fragrant  leaf  hath  a  fairy  tone, 
Breathing  to  thee  a  welcome  home! 

The  flowers  must  lose  the  rich  hues  they  show, 
But  our  love  for  thee  will  brighter  grow  ; 
They  may  droop  and  die  with  to-morrow's  sun, 
But  our  love  for  thee  shall  still  live  on. 

For  our  youthful  group  the  coming  years 
Will  bring  meeting  smiles  and  parting  tears, 
Till  we  pass  away  to  a  fairer  shore, 
To  be  met  and  welcomed  here  no  more. 

And  when  one  by  one  our  little  band 
Shall  all  be  called  to  that  happy  land, 
We  shall  meet  thee  where  sweet  odors  rise 
From  the  fadeless  flowers  of  Paradise. 


188  MEMOIK   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

It  was  not  in  the  heart  of  the  pastor  to  receive  with 
mere  formality  such  a  tribute  as  this.  The  abundance 
of  that  heart  found  utterance  from  warm  .lips,  and  the 
response  to  the  welcome  was  worthy  the  man  and  the 
minister.  The  school  then  joined  in  singing  an  appro 
priate  hymn,  and  all  passed  out,  each  scholar  taking  the 
pastor  by  the  hand,  and  presenting  him  with  flowers. 
They  then  formed  in  procession,  the  pastor  and  superin 
tendent  at  the  head,  and  proceeded  to  the  wharf,  where 
they  were  received  on  board  the  steamer  Phoenix,  and 
conveyed  to  Weathersfield.  Here  they  were  met  by  Mr. 
Pillsbury,  the  warden,  and  Mr.  Kellog,  chaplain  of  the 
prison,  who  showed  them  kind  attentions.  Having  vis 
ited  the  prison  throughout,  and  joined  in  the  devotional 
evening  service,  they  reembarked,  and  returned  to  their 
homes. 

Such  a  return,  after  absence,  as  this,  might  well  be 
compared  with  many  a  triumphal  entry  of  the  ruler  and 
conqueror  from  the  sanguinary  field,  where  not  only 
lives  by  thousands  had  been  sacrificed,  but  hearts  of  sur 
vivors  wounded  and  Crushed,  their  helpers  taken  away, 
their  earthly  hopes  cut  off.  Here,  at  this  meeting,  were 
no  such  sad  reflections.  A  conqueror,  indeed,  returns  to 
his  people ;  a  ruler  and  holder  of  their  hearts'  affections, 
where  he  reigns  by  love ;  one  who  has  taught  them  the 
way  of  righteousness,  and  led  them  in  the  paths  of  peace. 
What  a  greeting  !  And  from  the  children,  too  !  Was 
not  such  a  welcome  of  the  Master  from  the  little  ones  in 
the  temple  among  the  most  holy  and  blest  of  any  given  us 


MINISTRY   IN   HARTFORD.  189 

in  his  history  ?  The  children  !  Give  us  places  in  their 
hearts,  an  interest  in  their  blessings,  always.  What  an 
inimitable  conception  is  that  of  the  poor  crazed  poet  (as 
he  was  deemed),  Macdonald  Clark  :  "  Bury  me  near  the 
children.  —  Four  things,  I  am  sure,  there  will  be  in 
heaven :  music,  pure  air,  flowers,  and  plenty  of  little 
children."  "Whoso  is  wise"  will  realize  the  value  of 
these  thoughts  about  the  little  ones,  and  something  of 
the  real  greatness  of  being  a  leader  among  them. 

During  this  year  Mr.  Moore  was  very  frequently 
called  upon  to  deliver  addresses  on  temperance,  and  none 
were  readier  to  answer  the  calls  than  he.  His  labors  in 
this  direction  -were  quite  as  many  as  his  other  duties 
would  allow.  This  was  one  great  principle  of  Chris 
tianity,  and  he  would  do  what  he  could  to  promote  its 
growth.  He  had,  however,  a  whole  counsel  of  the  All- 
wise  and  gracious  Father  to  make  known.  "  I  am  set 
for  the  defence  of  the  Gospel,"  was  one  of  his  life-texts, 
and  his  words  and  deeds  preached  many  an  impressive 
and  useful  sermon  from  it.  It  was  in  the  autumn  of  this 
year  that  he  took  occasion  to  notice,  in  his  discourses  and 
through  the  press,  the  anxiety  evinced  by  other  sects 
because  of  the  increased  attention  given  to  Universalism 
in  many  parts  of  Connecticut ;  an  anxiety  which  led  to 
many  very  hard  and  abusive  sayings  against  this  faith  and 
those  who  maintained  it.  He  very  sensibly  felt  for  those 
conscientious  believers  in  places  where  they  had  not  much 
strength  in  numbers,  and  were  on  this  account  more 
liable  to  persecution  for  their  faith.  Gladly  would  he 


190  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

have  visited  and  given  them  encouragement ;  but  duties 
to  others  forbade  this  gratification.  He  gives  all  such, 
however,  excellent  counsel,  as  will  be  seen  by  what  fol 
lows,  from  one  of  his  editorial  articles. 

After  noticing  certain  recent  "attacks  on  Universal- 
ism,"  he  concludes  thus  : 

"  There  is,  after  all,  very  much  good  resulting  from 
the  course  pursued  by  those  who  reject  our  faith  ; 
although  they  do  not  intend  to  bring  about  all  the  results 
that  are  seen.  If  they  mean  it  for  evil  against  Univer- 
salism,  God  turns  it  to  a  good  account,  by  suffering  them 
to  denounce  and  misrepresent  it  and  its  advocates,  which 
calls  new  attention  to  the  whole  great  thame.  We  hope 
our  friends  in  the  vicinity  where  these  attacks  are  made, 
will  exhibit  the  true  spirit  of  the  Gospel,  and  '  put  on,  as 
the  elect  of  God,  bowels  of  mercy,  kindness,  humbleness 
of  mind,  meekness,  long-suffering.'  and  never  descend  to 
the  use  of  low  and  mean  language  used  by  men  whose 
words  should  not  be  repeated,  and  will  not  be  by  those 
who  heed  the  exhortation  of  the  apostle,  '  Let  no  corrupt 
communication  proceed  out  of  your  mouth.'  Sometimes, 
it  is  true,  we  may  be  justified  in  shooting  '  folly  as  it 
flies  ;  '  and  it  may  be  that  we  are  justified  in  ridiculing 
the  nonsense  of  the  world,  or  of  showing  our  disappro 
bation  of  what  is  foolish  and  low  in  terms  of  severity ;  — 
but  it  is  the  part  of  wisdom  never  to  shoot  unless  there 
is  something  worth  aiming  at ;  and,  in  ridiculing  the 
ridiculous,  not  to  become  ridiculous  ;  nor,  in  opposing  the 
vulgar,  to  run  into  vulgarity.  There  is  a  way  by  which 


MINISTRY  IN  HARTFORD.  191 

to  '  rebuke  sharply '  without  descending  to  the  level  of 
that  which  we  condemn.  And  may  all  who  claim  to  be 
Universalists  show,  by  their  words  and  actions,  that  their 
religion  does  not  allow  them  to  descend  to  the  use  of 
debasing  language,  .or  to  sinful  deeds." 

He  took  occasion,  also,  about  this  time,  to  speak  and 
write  freely  in  reference  to  the  subject  of  church  organ 
ization.  He  desired  that  Universalists  would  not  only 
agree  to  the  propriety  of  such  organization,  but  that  they 
manifest  their  faith  by  works.  He  writes  :  "  That  such 
an  organization,  on  Gospel  principles,  is  useful  and  im 
portant,  no  one,  it  would  seem,  can  dispute.  Why,  then, 
do  our  friends  who  are  so  circumstanced  as  to  warrant 
the  measure  delay  action  on  the  subject  ?  Why  not  do 
that  which  will  increase  their  individual  and  associated 
strength  ?  Is  it  said  by  many  that  '  we  are  few  in  num 
bers  and  weak  in  means,  for  the  support  of  the  regular 
ministration  of  the  word '  ?  This  may  be  true ;  but  is 
it  any  reason  why  those  few  should  not  enjoy  the  priv 
ilege  and  profit  of  such  an  association,  and  that  the 
means  they  do  possess  should  remain  unemployed  ?  We 
would  not  so  reason  on  any  other  subject.  We  should 
not  expect  our  numbers  would  increase  and  our  means 
multiply  by  inaction.  Nor  would  it  be  reasonable  .to 
say,  that  because  there  are  but  few  scholars  in  a  district, 
and  the  means  of  education  are  limited,  therefore  these 
few  must  be  deprived  of  the  advantages  of  education." 

On  the  last  Sabbath  of  this  year  he  discoursed  to  his 
people  in  the  morning  on  the  history  of  Universalism, 


192  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN  MOORE. 

and  in  the  afternoon  on  the  history  of  the  society  of 
which  he  was  then  pastor. 

It  was  at  the  close  of  this  year,  also,  that  he  relin 
quished  his  work  as  editor  of  the  Universalist,  as  also 
his  pecuniary  interest  in  the  paper.  It  was  first  issued 
at  Middletown,  by  Rev.  L.  S.  Everett ;  and  on  his  leav 
ing  the  state  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Moore,  who 
was  assisted  editorially  by  Rev.  R.  0.  Williams  and 
Rev.  M.  Sanford.  It  was  now  to  be  united  with  the 
Trumpet,  by  mutual  arrangement  between  the  propri 
etors  of  both  journals.  Mr.  Moore  had  become  convinced 
that  no  man  should  attempt  to  be  at  the  same  time  the 
pastor  of  a  religious  society  and  the  publisher  of  a  weekly 
paper.  Could  the  Connecticut  journal  have  been  con 
tinued,  it  would  have  been  very  gratifying  to  Mr.  Moore ; 
but  he  desired  to  be  free  from  the  care  and  anxiety  which 
the  business  concerns  of  such  a  publication  would  impose 
upon  him.  In  surrendering  the  charge  of  the  paper, 
he  said : 

"In  closing  my  labors  as  conductor  of  this  religious 
journal,  I  desire  that  my  brethren  who  are  engaged  in 
conducting  the  press  in  behalf  of  the  great  central  truth 
of  Christianity,  the  final  holiness  and  happiness  of  all 
mankind,  will  accept  the  assurance  of  my  gratitude  for 
the  courtesy  and  Christian  kindness  which  they  have 
uniformly  exhibited  towards  me,  as  we  have  labored  in 
the  Master's  vineyard  in  that  capacity:  and  that  they 
will  receive,  in  the  same  spirit  in  which  it  is  offered,  the 
exhortation  to  contend  manfully,  and  in  the  spirit  of  our 


MINISTRY  IN  HARTFORD.  193 

Master,  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  cause  of  practical 
Christianity  in  the  world ;  to  avoid  personal  strife  and 
contention  about  those  trifling  things  and  sentiments,  or 
giving  publicity  to  repartee  which  may  appear  well 
enough  in  a  private  circle,  but  which  appear  bad  enough 
when  published  to  the  world,  especially  in  a  religious 
journal;  knowing  that  they  occupy  an  important  and  a 
responsible  station,  the  influence  of  which  is  great,  for 
good  or  for  evil. 

11  To  the  patrons  of  the  Universalist  I  would  express 
my  acknowledgments  for  your  countenance  and  support, 
in  assisting  me  and  my  coadjutors  in  disseminating  what 
we  conceive  to  be  the  truth  of  God,  and  the  promotion  of 
the  cause  of  Christian  progress,  in  which  we  have  not 
labored  in  vain.  I  shall  take  my  leave  of  none  of  you, 
as  I  intend  to  commune  with  you  often,  through  the  col 
umns  of  the  Trumpet ;  and  I  will  hope  that  very  few 
of  you  will  take  your  leave  of  me.  The  greatest  bar 
gain  a  man  makes  is  the  paying  for  and  reading  a  well- 
conducted  religious  newspaper."  • 

At  the  commencement  of  the  new  year,  1844,  he 
speaks  in  terms  of  encouragement  of  the  society  with 
which  he  was  connected.  He  prays  for  its  inward  as 
well  as  outward  prosperity ;  and  records  with  much  grat 
ification  an  addition  to  the  church  made  on  the  day  of 
the  communion  service.  He  looked  for  prosperity 
where  it  would  most  surely  be  found,  in  the  religious 
inclination  and  consecration  of  souls  to  the  Christian 

service. 

17 


194  MEMOIR  OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

His  birth-days  are  almost  always  religiously  mentioned 
in  his  diary.  This  year  he  writes  :  ' '  Forty-seven  !  can 
it  be  possible  ?  It  is  even  so.  Should  I  live  another 
year,  may  I  do  more  in  the  cause  of  Christ  than  in  any 
former  year.  To  this  end  may  the  wisdom  and  love  of 
God  guide  me."  In  a  letter  to  a  friend,  bearing  date 
March  12th,  he  thus  writes  respecting  the  doctrine  of  the 
unity  of  the  human  race  : 

"  My  present  views  are,  that  God  has  so  connected  the 
race  of  man  that  it  must  rise  or  fall  together.  If  one 
member  suffers  or  is  degraded,  the  race  must,  more  or 
less,  according  to  their  knowledge  of  it,  suffer  and  feel 
degraded  ;  as  one  is  exalted  or  honored,  all  who  know  it 
partake  by  sympathy  of  the  same.  I  love  this  sentiment 
more  and  more,  as  I  dwell  upon  it ;  and  particularly  its 
practical  influence.  Once  fix  this  idea  in  the  mind,  and 
what  will  it  not  do  in  inducing  obedience  to  the  golden 
rule? 

' '  Paul  had  it  right.  '  All  things  are  yours  ;  whether 
Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Cephas,  or  the  world,  or  life,  or  death, 
or  things  present,  or  things  to  come ;  all  are  yours ;  and 
ye  are  Christ's,  and  Christ  is  God's.'  What  a  glorious 
passage  !  How  full  of  hope,  and  confidence,  and  joy  !  " 

On  the  23d  of  May,  his  son,  Rev.  John  Harvey 
Moore,  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  at 
Warren,  Mass.,  where  he  had  accepted  an  invitation  to  a 
pastorate.  The  father  was  present,  and  offered  the  Ordain 
ing  Prayer.  It  was  a  day  of  inexpressible  pleasure  to 
him.  "  The  words  of  that  prayer,"  says  one  who  heard 


MINISTRY   IN  HARTFORD.  195 

it,  "I  do  not  remember,  but  the  prayer  itself  made  an 
impression  which  will  keep  it  in  memory  while  I  live. 
A  more  appropriate  or  affecting  petition  on  such  an  occa 
sion  I  never  heard."  He  had  more  than  once  said,  that 
if  he  had  ten  sons  he  should  be  glad  to  see  them  all  de 
voted  to  the  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry.  In  June,  after 
attending  the  Hartford  Association  of  Universalists,  at 
North  Granby,  he  visited  Troy,  Saratoga,  Schenectady, 
and  other  places ;  spending  one  Sabbath  on  his  way  from 
home,  and  another  on  his  return,  in  New  York  city.  In 
July  he  attended  the  dedication  of  the  Unitarian  church 
in  Southington.  He  writes  of  the  occasion :  "  Dr. 
Brazer,  of  Salem,  Mass.,  gave  the  sermon.  Subject, 
the  '  New  Birth ; '  treated  chiefly  by  opposing  the  '  ortho 
dox'  notions  of  it.  In  the  afternoon,  Mr.  Farley,  of 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  preached  the  sermon.  Subject,  '  Faith 
in  Jesus  as  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  the  only  Chris 
tian  creed.'  It  was  treated  after  the  same  manner  as  the 
preceding  discourse.  There  were  three  Universalist  min 
isters  present,  who,  notwithstanding  the  profession  of  the 
leading  Unitarians  in  the  place,  and  of  the  order  gene 
rally,  that  they  are  desirous  of  a  union  with  Universalists, 
particularly  where  both  parties  are  weak,  were  not 
noticed  at  all."  In  August  he  records  a  lamentable  cir 
cumstance  of  the  death  of  three  boys,  by  drowning,  in 
the  Connecticut  river.  They  were  in  for  the  purpose  of 
bathing.  The  youngest  went  in  first,  waded  off  an  offset ; 
the  next,  a  brother,  went  to  his  rescue,  and  sunk  in  like 
manner ;  when  the  eldest  followed  for  the  same  purpose, 


196  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

and  met  the  same  fate.  The  water  was  deeper  than  they 
had  supposed  it  to  be.  They  were  members  of  the  Hart 
ford  Universalist  Sabbath-school.  His  discourse  on  the 
funeral  occasion  was  an  appropriate  and  deeply  affecting 
one,  from  2d  Kings,  4th  chapter — "It  is  well."  Fifteen 
hundred  persons  were  present.  The  last  of  this  month 
he  attended  the  State  Convention  at  Norwich,  a  meetincr 

'  O 

of  much  interest  to  him. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  year  he  was  very  busily 
engaged  in  his  vocation  with  his  own  people,  and  in  lec 
turing  in  places  abroad.  He  regards  the  year,  at  its 
close,  as  one  of  unusual  interest,  and  thus  expresses 
himself  in  view  of  its  providential  relations  to  him : 
"  For  all  the  blessings  conferred  upon  me  this  year,  now 
so  nearly  closed,  let  me  be  sincerely  thankful  to  Him 
from  whom  all  good  cometh.  May  my  true  thoughts  of 
them  lead  me  to  confide  in  the  God  of  heaven  constantly, 
and  to  practise  upon  the  principles  of  the  Gospel.  And 
in  all  the  future  may  his  wisdom  guide  and  his  mercy 
keep  me  in  the  path  of  duty.  Amen." 

On  New  Year's  day,  1845,  the  children  of  his  Sabbath- 
school  visited  him,  by  invitation,  at  his  own  home.  The 
interview  was  a  mutually  happy  one;  and  a  "home" 
season  indeed  it  proved  to  be  to  the  pastor,  and  to  the 
tender  lambs  of  his  flock. 

A  little  accident  occurring  about  this  time,  which 
proved  to  be  of  his  own  carelessness,  he  remarks  in  his 
journal :  "  Bad  luck  !  Worst  of  all,  had  nobody  to  scold. 


MINISTRY  IN   HARTFORD.  197 

Was  myself  wholly  to  blame.  If  we  should  treat  others 
in  their  mistakes  as  we  do  ourselves  when  we  are  care 
less,  how  differently  should  we  behave  !  We  shall  thus 
treat  them  when  we  love  them  as  ourselves." 

On  the  14th  of  January  of  this  year  he  attended  the 
dedication  of  the  new  Universalist  church  in  Canterbury, 
Conn.,  and  preached  the  sermon  on  the  occasion.  In 
April  he  was  present  at  the  dedication  of  the  new  Uni 
versalist  church  in  Springfield,  Mass.,  and  took  part  in 
the  services.  In  the  month  of  June  he  spent  two  Sun 
days  in  Troy,  N.  Y.  In  July,  one  Sunday  in  Troy,  and 
one  in  Albany ;  also  in  Lynn  two  Sundays,  taking  occa 
sion,  while  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  last-named  place, 
to  visit  his  old  friends  in  Danvers,  by  whom  he  was  very 
cordially  received.  Some  time  during  this  month  he 
expresses,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  his  unwaning  devotion 
to  the  Christian  ministry.  "lam  pledged,"  he  writes, 
"  to  the  cause  of  Universalism,  and  shall  preach  it  so 
long  as  I  have  strength,  and  continue  to  believe  it  true." 

During  this  month  he  speaks  of  the  state  of  the 
society  of  which  he  was  pastor,  as  follows : 

"  Our  society  in  this  place  is  moving  on  in  its  steady 
course.  The  regular  congregation  is  respectable,  both 
in  numbers  and  zeal  for  the  promotion  of  the  interests  of 
the  society.  There  has  been  for  the  last  four  and  a  half 
years  a  gradual  increase  in  the  interest  manifested  in 
the  church,  Sunday-school,  and  all  that  appertains  to  the 
permanency  of  the  cause  of  truth,  as  held  by  Oniver- 
salists  of  the  city." 
17* 


198  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

There  had  been  some  talk  of  the  erection  of  a  Uni 
tarian  church  in  Hartford.  How  Mr.  Moore  regarded 
this  contemplated  event  may  be  learned  from  the  follow 
ing  expression  of  his  feelings.  It  is  a  breathing  of  the 
true  spirit : 

"Rumor  says  we  are  to  have  in  this  city,  what  most 
strangers  are  surprised  to  learn  we  have  not  —  a  Uni 
tarian  church.  We  really  hope  the  time  is  not  far  distant 
when  there  will  be  another  church  in  this  city  in  which 
shall  be  proclaimed  the  strict  unity,  the  impartial  and 
unending  goodness  of  God,  the  equal  Father  and  change 
less  friend  of  the  whole  human  race ;  in  which  the  doctrine 
of  the  vicarious  atonement  by  Christ,  total  depravity  of 
man  by  nature,  the  infinity  of  sin,  and  endless  punishment 
for  the  sins  of  this  life,  shall  be  discarded  as  unscriptural, 
unreasonable,  and  as  making  no  part  of  Christianity ; 
and  where  all  may  enjoy  the  privilege  of  the  members  of 
Christ's  church,  irrespective  of  their  peculiar  views,  if 
they  evince  a  disposition  to  cherish  the  spirit  of  Christ. 
*  *  *  •  *  *  * 

'•'  Although  we  would  prefer  that  the  people  should 
embrace  the  whole  truth,  yet  it  is  well  that  they  should 
embrace  and  defend  the  first  principles  of  the  system  of 
Christianity,  as  these  may  lead  into  all  truth.  It  is 
better  to  follow  out  these  principles  to  their  legitimate 
results.  We  would  say  to  all.  of  whatever  name  or  party, 
be  true  to  the  light  given  you :  let  not  the  consideration 
of  popularity,  or  of  policy,  deter  you  from  doing  your 
duty  faithfully  ;  maintain  what  you  believe  to  be  truth, 


MINISTRY   IN   HARTFORD.  199 

always  holding  your  mind  open  to  the  reception  of  more 
light,  and  you  shall  possess  what  is  of  far  more  conse 
quence  than  all  the  world  beside  —  a  conscience  void  of 
offence." 

At  the  close  of  this  summer  he  received  an  urgent 
invitation  to  become  the  pastor  of  the  Universalist  society 
in  Troy,  N.  Y.  At  the  same  time  he  had  calls,  also, 
from  Lebanon,  his  old  home,  and  from  Winchester,  N.  H. 
In  September  he  visited  in  the  States  of  New  York,  Ver 
mont,  and  New  Hampshire ;  his  desk  at  Hartford  being 
supplied,  during  his  absence,  by  candidates  for  settle 
ment.  He  concluded  to  accept  the  invitation  from  Troy ; 
his  ministerial  connection  there  to  begin  on  the  first 
Sunday  in  October. 

During  this  year,  thus  far,  he  had  made  an  industrious 
use  of  his  time  in  Hartford  and  vicinity.  In  addition  to 
his  weekly  callings  in  the  society,  he  was  frequently 
engaged  in  lectures  and  addresses  to  lodges  and  other 
fraternities  with  which  he  was  connected.  He  lectured 
much  on  temperance,  and  quite  a  number  of  times  on  the 
subject  of  capital  punishment.  He  was  prompt  and 
faithful ;  "  instant  in  season,  out  of  season." 

Why,  on  the  whole,  he  determined  to  leave  Hartford, 
we  are  not  prepared  to  say.  He  took  the  step/  doubtless, 
as  a  matter  of  duty,  perhaps  to  himself,  feeling  that 
another  change  would,  in  some  respects,  lighten  for  a 
while  his  pastoral  cares  and  labors  ;  a  consideration  which 
it  is  not  right,  always,  for  pastors  to  take  altogether 
upon  themselves.  Societies  might  not  lose  anything  by 


200  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

sometimes  seeking  on  their  part  to  lessen  the  duties  of 
the  minister,  thus  practically  heeding  the  apostolic  in 
junction,  "  Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens."  But  our 
brother  had  concluded  to  take  a  new  field  of  labor,  not 
•without  a  strong  consciousness  of  having  left  his  impres 
sion  for  good  in  that  wherein  he  had  been  employed  for 
nearly  the  last  six  years  of  his  life. 

His  valedictory  discourses  in  Hartford  were  delivered 
on  the  last  Sunday  in  September.  The  morning  dis 
course  was  from  Acts  20  :  27, —  "  I  have  not  shunned 
to  declare  unto  you  all  the  counsel  of  God:  "  a" text 
most  truly  expressive  of  the  faithfulness  of  the  minister 
thus  using  it.  The  text  in  the  afternoon  was,  Philip- 
pians  4  :  8,  9,  —  "Finally,  brethren,  whatsoever  things 
are  true  ;  whatsoever  things  are  just :  whatsoever  things 
are  pure ;  whatsoever  things  are  lovely :  whatsoever 
things  are  of  good  report ;  if  there  be  any  virtue, 
and  if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these  things. 
Those  things  which  ye  have  both  learned,  and  received, 
and  heard,  and  seen  in  me,  do ;  and  the  God  of 
peace  shall  be  with  you."  His  parting  advice  to  the 
people,  in  both  discourses,  was  sound,  faithful,  and 
affectionate.  He  left  them  in  peace  with  all ;  and  his 
ministry  in  Hartford,  we  have  reason  to  believe,  will  long 
be  remembered  as  one  of  the  most  earnest  and  truthful 
which  they  ever  knew.  It  was  a  ministry  that  left  its 
impression  for  years  after  his  departure  from  that  city  ; 
and  which  awakens,  at  this  hour,  tenderest  recollections 
in  many  a  mind.  As  an  expression  of  the  esteem  in  which 


MINISTRY   IN   HARTFORD.  201 

he  was  held,  we  give  place  to  the  following  tribute,  by 
Mr.  John  R.  Pease,  which  appeared  originally  in  the 
Hartford  Times. 

LINES 

ADDRESSED   TO   REV.    JOHN   MOORE   ON   HIS   LEAVING   HARTFORD   FOR 
TROT. 

The  wind  goes  by  with  hollow  moan, 

And  whispers  me,  "  Your  friend  is  gone,!  " 

I  see  no  more  that  noble  form, 

Nor  feel  thy  hand's  heart-pressure  warm  ; 

I  see  no  more  that  beaming  smile, 

All  bright  with  hope  and  void  of  guile  ; 

I  hear  no  more  that  joyous  tone  — 

My  heart  is  sad,  and  feels  alone  ! 

Thy  wide,  expansive,  generous  soul, 
Viewed  man,  thy  brother,  as  a  whole  ; 
Was  to  no  sect  or  creed  confined, 
But  fraught  with  love  to  all  mankind. 
How  skilled  to  teach  with  precepts  rare ! 
Whose  lips  e'er  breathed  a  purer  prayer? 
No  more  that  voice,  in  accents  clear, 
Shall  fall  like  music  on  the  ear. 

Within  the  social  circle  bright, 
How  beamed  thy  heart  with  floods  of  light, 
-    And  made  the  cup  of  joy  o'erflow, 
Dispersed  the  gathering  clouds  of  woe  ! 
How  flowed  thy  mind  with  generous  zeal 
For  private  good  and  public  weal ; 
How  bland  thy  tones  and  accents  free, 
.  With  "  little  children,  come  to  me  "  ! 

They  '11  miss  thee  when  they  gather  —  when 
That  rescued  band  of  temperance  men 


202         MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

Shall  want  their  guide  and  champion  bold, 
To  bring  the  wanderer  to  the  fold. 
Thine  was  a  heart  whose  glowing  flame 
Felt  for  all  suffering,  sin,  and  shame. 
They  '11  miss  thy  voice  to  cheer  them  on, 
And  mourn  a  friend  and  brother  gone. 

Not  they  alone,  but  that  bright  band 
Who  seek  to  renovate  the  land, 
And,  blending  mercy  in  their  code, 
To  purge  the  law  of  human  blood. 
Thine  was  a  mind  with  scope  and  power 
To  see  beyond  the  transient  hour  — 
To  dare  for  truth  the  bigot's  rage, 
And  struggle  for  a  brighter  age. 

In  homes  that  now  seem  sad  and  lone  ; 
In  halls  where  rang  thy  thrilling  tone  ; 
In  fanes  where  hushed  the  noisy  strife  ; 
And  in  the  broad  highway  of  life  ; 
Or  bowers  of  joy,  or  beds  of  pain  ; 
They  ne'er  shall  see  thy  like  again : 
Or  grave,  or  gay,  thine  was  the  art 
At  once  to  charm  and  mend  the  heart. 

Blessings,  where'er  our  friend  may  be  ! 
The  herald  of  glad  tidings  free  ; 
Beneath  whatever  skies  thou  'It  roam, 
Where  fate  or  fortune  make  thy  home, 
Wear  still  that  heart,  a  spotless  vest, 
And  love  emblazoned  on  thy  crest ; 
Be  truth's  bright  sword  still  thine  to  wield, 
The  victor  of  the  bloodless  field. 

I  see  no  more  that  noble  form, 
*  Nor  feel  thy  hand's  heart-pressure  warm  ; 
I  see  no  more  that  beaming  smile, 
All  bright  with  hope  and  void  of  guile  ; 


MINISTRY   IN  HARTFORD.  203 

I  hear  no  more  that  joyous  tone  — 
My  heart  is  sad,  and  feels  alone  ! 
Words  are  but  vain  our  grief  to  tell  — 
My  friend  and  pastor,  FARE  THEE  WELL  ! 

"  Our  pastor,  Mr.  Moore,"  writes  one  of  his  friends  in 
that  city,  "  was  well  known  here,  in  and  out  of  his 
society,  and  wherever  known  respected.  He  was  quite 
popular ;  was  much  engaged  in  the  temperance  cause, 
in  educational  matters,  and  in  everything  which  he  con 
sidered  truly  reformatory.  No  minister  of  his  faith  has 
been  more  respected  here  as  a  man  and  a  citizen ;  and 
many  who  had  never  heard  him  speak  from  the  pulpit, 
were  sorry  to  lose  him  from  the  city.  His  noble  form, 
and  benevolently  beaming  countenance,  the  mirror  of  a 
kindly  and  cheerful  heart,  commanded  everywhere  admi 
ration  and  deference.  Of  his  merits  as  a  preacher  others 
can  speak  more  to  the  purpose  than  myself ;  but  I  know 
that  his  unaffected,  heart-felt  eloquence,  his  truthful, 
earnest  words,  could  not  have  been  without  effect  upon 
many  a  heart." 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

MINISTRY   IN   TROY. 

THE  ministry  of  Mr.  Moore  in  Troy  was  a  brief  one. 
It  was  none  the  less  faithful,  however,  because  of  this. 
It  is  the  fate  of  the  pastor  to  reap  where  other  men  have 
sown.  Sometimes  it  is  a  joy,  and  sometimes  a  grievance, 
to  enter  into  the  labors  of  predecessors.  A  pastor  is  not 
responsible  for  what  may  have  preceded  him  in  the  min 
istry,  if  he  has  not  been  a  partaker  in  the  work.  He  is 
responsible  for  what  he  does,  or  undertakes  to  do.  It  has 
been  the  lot  of  some  of  our  pastors  to  enter  upon  their 
work  in  a  society  with  the  unfavorable  effects  of  a  pre 
vious  pastoral  administration  fully  before  them.  The 
field  has  been  one  of  hard  theological  warfare  ;  a  ground 
of  contention  with  other  sects  and  their  opinions,  not  of 
the  most  courteous  and  loving  kind  ;  ground  where  a  kind 
of  doctrinal  cannonading  has  called  around  a  multitude  to 
witness  it,  many  of  whom  Avould  be  in  no  particular  mood 
for  cultivating  peace,  and  studying  the  best  methods 
of  Christian  fraternizing  and  culture,  after  such  pulpit 


MINISTRY   IN   TROY.  205 

thundering  had  ceased.  There  had  been  such  a  ministry 
at  Troy.  Congregations,  full  congregations,  had  not 
unfrequently  been  called  under  it.  But  congregations 
are  not  societies  nor  churches.  After  this  inordinate 
swelling  the  collapse  took  place ;  and  it  was  in  this  last- 
named  condition  that  Mr.  Moore  found  the  society  when 
he  came  to  Troy.  There  were  true  and  faithful  friends 
in  it,  who  were  hoping  for  a  revival  of  the  spirit  and 
truth  of  the  Lord ;  and  they  sought  to  cheer  the  heart 
and  stay  the  hand  of  their  new  pastor.  Mr.  Moore  was 
aware  of  this  state  of  things.  He  knew  that  his  field  of 
labor  was  not  one  of  the  most  inviting;  but  he  was  not  by 
this  consideration  prevented  from  entering  it.  A  knowl 
edge  of  his  fitness  to  aid  in  the  true  growth  of  a  society 
had  been  the  chief  inducement  of  the  friends  in  Troy  to 
seek  his  services.  "  Here  has  been  a  tearing  down  of 
error,"  he  writes  to  a  friend,  "but,  unhappily  for  the 
cause  of  truth,  that  has  been  beaten  down  also."  Of 
Troy  he  says,  in  his  correspondence  :  "There  is  much 
more  business  done  here  than  in  Hartford ;  about  double 
the  number  of  inhabitants ;  full  of  enterprise,  full  of 
Orthodoxy  and  Nothingarianism,  with  a  small  share  of 
Universalism." 

He  commenced  his  ministry  in  Troy  on  the  first  Sab 
bath  in  October.  His  discourse  in  the  morning  was  from 
the  text  in  Ephesians  6:  12 — 20,  — "  For  we  wrestle 
not  against  flesh  and  blood,"  etc.  His  subject  of  dis 
course  in  the  afternoon  was  the  mutual  and  peculiar 
duties  of  pastor  and  people.  He  would,  in  his  ministry 
18 


206         MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

•with  this  people,  enter  into  a  contention,  not  against  any 
of  the  rights,  privileges,  or  interests,  of  men ;  not  against 
anything  good  that  any  class  or  sect  may  have ;  but  he 
would  oppose  what  he  believed  to  be  error  and  sin,  and 
hinder,  if  possible,  their  blighting  effects  upon  the  indi 
vidual  and  upon  society.  He  would  preach  the  truth, 
and  beseech  men  to  arm  themselves  with  it,  that  they 
might  maintain  a  good  and  effective  warfare  against  these 
enemies  of  our  nature.  He  would  have  the  people  aid 
their  minister  in  his  work :  putting  on  the  same  weapons 
with  which  he  should  be  armed,'  and  which  are  stated  by 
the  apostle,  namely,  the  girdle  of  truth,  the  breastplate 
of  righteousness,  the  sandals  of  peace,  the  shield  of  faith, 
the  helmet  of  salvation,  the  sword  of  the  spirit,  which  is 
the  Word  of  God.  Among  the  particulars  to  be  observed 
by  the  members  of  a  society  in  reference  to  their  minis 
ter  and  each  other,  he  mentions,  a  readiness  to  sacrifice 
individual  views  and  trivial  preferences  for  the  general 
welfare :  a  feeling  of  individual  influence  and  responsi 
bility  ;  personal  attention  to  strangers ;  familiarity  be 
tween  pastor  and  people.  Under  this  last  head  he  speaks 
in  the  utmost  frankness.  "  Do  not,  I  beseech  you,  fear 
nor  neglect  to  speak  to  me  of  everything  which  you 
deem  important  to  the  interests  of  the  society,  and  the 
truth  it  would  here  build  up  and  honor.  Speak  to  me 
of  my  own  character,  if  you  will,  if  you  think  that 
amiss  in  any  respect.  You  are  interested  in  my  charac 
ter,  as  I  am  in  yours.  The  character  of  a  society  is 
judged  by  that  of  its  minister,  and  the  character  of  a 


MINISTRY   IN  TROT.  207 

minister  by  his  society,  on  the  part  of  those  who  may  be 
but  partially  acquainted  with  each."  However  long  or 
short  his  tarrying  here,  he  is  desirous  of  proving  himself 
faithful  to  the  great  work  of  the  Gospel.  He  speaks 
very  emphatically  in  his  journal  of  "the  arduous  and 
delightful  duties  of  a  minister  of  Christ."  The  work  and 
the  joy —  these  were  always  ingredients  in  the  cup  of  his 
ministerial  life. 

About  the  time  of  his  first  coming  here,  the  society  in 
Albany  being  destitute  of  a  pastor,  he  preached  once 
each  Sabbath  with  them.  He  gave  them,  for  some  time, 
a  morning  service.  During  the  first  month  of  his  settle 
ment  in  Troy,  he  visited  Clinton,  the  seat  of  the  Liberal 
Institute :  attended  the  New  York  Association  there,  and 
preached  on  the  occasion.  On  the  way  to  the  meeting, 
while  in  a  packet-boat  upon  the  Erie  Canal,  there  was  a 
passenger  on  board  whose  profanity  was  exceedingly  an 
noying  to  many  of  the  company,  but  whose  appearance 
seemed  to  forbid  the  approach  of  any  one  to  him  for  the 
purpose  of  lessening  the  grievance.  Mr.  Moore  at  length 
succeeded,  by  a  few  quiet  and  dignified  words,  in  imposing 
a  most  salutary  restraint  upon  his  speech,  so  that  the 
company  heard  no  more  swearing  from  him  during  the 
remainder  of  the  passage. 

On  the  7th  of  November  his  installation  took  place. 
Sermon,  on  the  occasion,  by  Rev.  W.  S.  Balch,  of  New 
York  city. 

Soon  after  his  settlement  here,  he  writes  thus  to  Rev. 


208  MEMOIK  OF  JOHN   MOOKE. 

Eli  Ballou,  editor  of  the  Watchman  and  Repository, 
published  at  Montpelier,  Vt. : 

"  Troy,  N.  Y,  November,  1845.— Your  faithful 
Watchman  greets  me  regularly  each  -week,  as  it  has 
done  from  the  time  you  took  charge  of  it :  though  since  I 
came  to  Troy  it  does  not  reach  me  until  the  middle  of  the 
week  after  date,  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  comes  here  via 
Hartford,  Conn.,  where  it  found  me  for  nearly  six  years, 
and  where  it  now  goes,  probably  from  the  force  of  habit. 
When  you  think  of  it,  just  start  it  on  a  different  track,  so 
that  its  tidings  may  be  known  and  enjoyed  while  they  are 
yet  new,  and  you  will  much  oblige  your  old  reader. 

'•'  I  am  becoming  quite  settled  in  my  new  location.  I 
find  many  New  England  people  here,  not  a  few  of  whom 
are  from  Vermont,  some  of  whom  knew  me  in  that  blessed 
state ;  which  makes  me  feel  as  though  I  was  very  near 
you ;  and  this  will,  in  fact,  be  the  case  when  the  railroad 
is  built  from  Saratoga  to  Whitehall,  and  from  Burlington 
to  Montpelier.  Then  we  shall  indeed  be  neighbors,  and 
shall  be  able  to  enjoy  more  frequently,  and  with  less 
fatigue,  the  pleasure  and  profit  of  social  personal  inter 
course.  Shall  we  not  reap  in  some  way  an  advantage  in 
the  promulgation  and  defenpe  of  Universalism,  by  the 
improved  mode  of  travelling?  I  hope  we  may.  We 
realized  something  of  the  kind  at  our  late  U.  S.  Conven 
tion.  What  a  gathering  was  that !  What  a  vast  amount 
of  moral  force  was  there  brought  together !  What  •  a 
blessed  and  cheering  influence  went  out  from  thence  ! 
Long,  very  long,  will  the  influence  of  that  meeting  be 


MINISTRY   IN   TROY.     ;  209 

enjoyed,  by  not  only  those  who  were  present,  but  in  a 
good  degree  by  all  who  read  or  hear  the  same. 

"  I  have  not  been  here  a  sufficient  length  of  time  yet  to 
learn  much  in  regard  to  the  state  of  our  cause  in  the 
region  round  about,  though  I  suspect  it  is  not  very  flat 
tering,  except  in  a  few  places  within  the  vicinity  of  the 
'  Hudson  River  Association.'  I  learn  that  our  friends 
have  a  very  good  house  of  worship  nearly  completed  at 
Glen's  Falls,  which  is  to  be  dedicated  in  a  few  weeks. 
The  society  at  Albany  is  at  present  destitute  of  a  settled 
pastor,  though  the  friends  there  are  in  hopes  soon  to  be 
supplied  in  that  respect.  Albany  is  an  important  position 
in  our  religious  world;  though  not  so  much  so,  perhaps, 
as  it  would  be  if  the  legislature  meeting  there  was,  like 
yours,  composed  of  one  member  from  each  town  in  the 
state,  beside  the  senate  and  other  officers,  and  seekers  for 
office.  What  a  pity  it  is  we  have  not  a  good  church  in 
your  village  !  But  we  must  wait  patiently,  in  hopes  that 
when  the  people  have  assisted  all  others,  and  tried  to  live 
on  chaff  long  enough,  they  will  learn  their  duty  to  them 
selves,  to  their  children,  to  the  cause  of  truth,  and  be 
disposed  to  do  it. 

' '  I  see  that  your  legislature  have  commuted  the  pun 
ishment  of  Clifford.  That  is  right  in  one  sense,  but  it 
may  not  be  expedient  in  another.  I  rejoice  that  when 
the  responsibility  of  taking  the  life  of  a  fellow-being  rests 
upon  an  individual,  or  a  body  of  men,  they  hesitate; 
they  are  ready  to  adopt  every  means  by  which  to  avoid 
such  responsibility.  But  it  may  be  doubted  whether  it  is 


210  MEMOIR  OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

expedient  thus  to  tamper  with  the  laws  of  the  state. 
Would  it  not  become  the  patriotic  and  enlightened  sons 
of  that  noble  little  state  far  better  to  repeal  that  law  at 
once,  than  to  keep  it  on  their  books  and  yet  refuse  to  exe 
cute  it?  If  the  unfortunate  Clifford  ought  not  to  be 
executed,  who  should  thus  suffer  ?  I  would  away  with  a 
law  which  should  not  be  executed ;  and,  as  the  surest 
means  by  which  to  get  rid  of  it,  I  would  have  it  rigidly 
executed  while  it  remains  in  force. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  many  of  the  states  imitate  many 
of  our  Christian  preachers.  The  former  have  the  death 
penalty  attached  to  their  laws,  but  seldom  inflict  it ;  the 
latter  are  great  sticklers  for  the  eternal  death  penalty,  but 
are  becoming  more  and  more  cautious  about  preaching  it 
in  its  awful  deformity.  I  like  the  course  Gov.  Wright 
has  adopted  in  this  matter.  '  Execute  the  laws,'  I  am 
told,  is  his  motto ;  if  these  are  not  good,  make  them  as 
they  should  be.  So  I  like  the  old-fashioned  out-and-out 
preaching  of  endless  misery,  in  all  its  naked,  startling, 
and  dreadful  aspect,  by  those  who  hold  it  in  their  creed. 
If  it  is  true  that  some  were  made  for  hell,  and  some  for 
heaven,  say  so.  Or,  if  all  who  die  sinners  must  eternally 
remain  such,  so  preach  it ;  the  more  plainly  and  forcibly 
the  better,  as  the  sooner  will  the  people  be  disgusted  with 
it,  and  by  universal  consent  abolish  it  from  their  creed. 

' '  The  friends  of  the  abolition  of  capital  punishment 
should  keep  the  subject  before  the  people  till  they  think 
rightly  on  it." 

This  year  the  ministers  of  the  Universalist  denomina- 


MINISTRY   IN   TEOY.  211 

tion  presented  to  the  public  a  protest  against  American 
slavery.  It  was  issued  in  accordance  with  the  expressed 
will  of  a  mass  meeting  of  the  fraternity,  held  in  Boston 
the  day  after  the  session  of  the  General  Convention  in 
September.  A  committee  of  five  was  appointed  "  to  pre 
pare  a  solemn,  earnest,  and  plain  protest  against  Ameri 
can  slavery ;  and,  when  prepared,  to  present  it  to  every 
Universalist  clergyman  in  the  United  States  for  his  sig 
nature,  respectfully  requesting  those  who  are  not  willing 
to  sign  it  to  give  a  reason  for  refusing ;  and  when  it  has 
been  fully  circulated,  and  they  have  waited  a  reasonable 
time  for  answers,  they  shall  publish  the  protest  and  sig 
natures,  with  the  reasons  offered  by  those  who  do  not 
sign  it."  This  committee  consisted  of  clergymen, 
namely :  Henry  Bacon,  Sebastian  Streeter,  Sylvanus 
Cobb,  Lucius  R.  Paige,  Edwin  H.  Chapin.  Among  the 
reasons  offered  why  this  protest  was  issued,  were  the  fol 
lowing:  "  Because  slavery  denies  \he  eternal  distinction 
between  a  man  and  property,  ranking  a  human  being  with 
a  material  thing ;  does  not  award  to  the  laborer  the  fruits 
of  his  toil  in  any  higher  sense  than  to  the  cattle ;  tram 
mels  the  intellectual  powers,  and  prevents  their  expansion ; 
checks  the  development  of  the  moral  nature  of  the  slave  ; 
involves  a  practical  denial  of  his  religious  nature ;  pre 
sents  an  insurmountable  barrier  to  the  propagation  of  the 
great  truth  of  the  universal  brotherhood,  and  thereby 
most  effectually  prevents  the  progress  of  true  Christian 
ity."  The  protest  concludes  by  saying:  "American 
slavery  is  a  system  of  wrongs,  from  its  first  principle  to 


212  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

its  crowning  assumption ;  and  in  its  train  of  evils  are 
found  all  the  iniquities  that  have  eaten  out  the  life  of 
communities  and  nations.  It  legalizes  sins  that  are 
abhorrent  to  the  simplest  moral  sense ;  and  in  the  increas 
ing  intelligence  and  philanthropy  of  the  present  age,  it 
becomes  more  and  more  a  stigma  on  our  national  name, 
a  curse  to  our  country's  prosperity,  and  a  giant  moral 
evil,  that  must  be  overthrown,  or  it  will  overthrow  us  by 
the  retributive  justice  of  Him  who  has  declared  the  truth: 
— '  Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation,  but  sin  is  a  reproach 
to  any  people.'  ' 

This  protest  was  signed  by  three  hundred  and  four 
Universalist  clergymen,  whose  names  were  given  to  the 
public  in  the  denominational  journals,  together  with  an 
epitome  of  the  reasons  offered  by  those  who  thought  it  not 
their  duty  to  affix  their  names,  so  far  as  those  reasons 
•were  made  known  to  the  committee.  The  protest  re 
ceived  the  hearty  approval  of  Mr.  Moore.  He  took  great 
pleasure  in  placing  his  name  to  it.  The  questions  involved 
in  it  he  regarded  as  of  vital  importance  to  the  Christian 
cause ;  as  properly  coming  within  the  line  of  direct  minis 
terial  action ;  as  affecting  all  churches  in  our  land,  and 
demanding  of  them  the  testimony  of  truth  as  to  the  con 
tinuance  or  the  ending  of  the  evil  of  human  bondage  with 
us  as  a  nation.  That  Gospel  which  taught  him,  in  his 
first  text,  "As  ye  go,  preach,  saying,  The  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  at  hand,"  taught  him  also  that  he  who  was  its 
advocate  was  bound  to  give  heed  to  the  words  heard  in 
the  synagogue  at  Nazareth  quoted  with  new  authority, 


MINISTRY   IN   TROY.  213 

"The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  because  he  hath 
appointed  me  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor ;  he  hath 
sent  me  to  heal  the  broken-hearted,  to  preach  deliverance 
to  the  captives,  and  recovery  of  sight  to  the  blind,  to  set 
at  liberty  them  that  are  bruised." 

The  dealing  of  Christianity  with  the  principal  evils 
in  human  society  constituted  one  of  its  ehief  excellences, 
to  the  mind  of  our  brother.  Universalism  was,  to  him, 
a  religion  of  practical  action ;  not  a  mere  system  of  words, 
a  theological  dissertation.  It  meant  what  it  said ;  it  did 
what  it  professed  to  ask.  It  was  this  conviction  wjiich  led 
him  to  take  so  deep  an  interest  in  the  promotion  of  the 
cause  of  temperance.  He  saw  its  intimate  connection 
with  the  welfare  of  men  —  their  temporal  and  spiritual 
welfare.  He  felt  the  meaning  of  those  scripture  teach 
ings  which  exhort  to  sobriety  and  purity,  and  declare 
that  "  no  drunkard  shall  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God." 
Having  heard,  soon  after  his  removal  to  Troy,  that  some 
one  of  his  congregation  in  Hartford  had  expressed  a  wish 
that  his  successor  in  that  place,  whoever  he  might  be, 
would  not  engage  in  the  temperance  cause  so  earnestly  as 
he  had  done,  he  writes  to  a  friend  :  "  Very  well ;  I  can 
not  recall  what  is  past,  and  I  rejoice  that  I  have  no  dis 
position  to  recall  a  single  effort  made  by  me  in  Hartford 
in  behalf  of  temperance.  I  never  neglected  my  own 
meetings  for  that  purpose,  without  consulting  the  com 
mittee  ;  and  my  worst  wish  about  the  society  is,  that  its 
next  pastor  may  do  more  for  the  poor  and  unfortunate, 
be  more  faithful  in  warning  the  intemperate  of  their 


214  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

danger,  be  more  ready  to  visit  the  sick,  do  more  for  the 
society  at  home,  and  better  maintain  its  honor  abroad, 
than  did  this  one  of  whom  it  is  said,  in  effect,  that  '  he  did 
more  for  the  temperance  cause  than  for  Universalism.' 
As  though  Universalism  could  flourish  amid  the  fumes 
of  alcohol !  But  I  forgive  all."  The  remark  which 
called  forth  this  answer  was  the  expressed  opinion  of 
only  one  person,  and  might  not  have  had  all  the  meaning 
which  appears  upon  the  face  of  it.  But  it  was  the  occa 
sion  of  these  truthful  words  from  the  truthful  minister 
and  man. 

At  the  close  of  this  year  he  writes  :  ' '  What  a  change 
has  taken,  place  with  us  during  the  past  year  !  —  the 
breaking  up  of  old,  and  the  forming  of  new  connections ; 
—  a  change  not  anticipated  when  the  year  began.  It  is 
my  desire  to  be  useful  in  the  work  of  the  Gospel ;  to  go 
where  there  seems  to  be  an  open  door,  trusting  in  the 
providence  of  God  to  indicate  to  me  the  path  of  duty ; 
intending  so  to  conduct  as  to  maintain  a  good  reputation, 
and  the  approval  of  my  heavenly  Father,  to  whom  I  now 
render  thanks  for  all  his  past  mercies,  —  for  the  guidance 
of  his  Holy  Spirit,  by  which  I  have  been  kept  in  the  way 
of  honor  and  peace." 

His  thoughts  on  his  next  birth-day,  too,  seem  like  an 
emanation  from  a  true  and  devout  soul.  "  God  be 
praised  for  all  that  he  has  enabled  me  to  believe  of  his 
power,  wisdom,  and  love ;  for  all  that  faith  enables  me 
to  anticipate  for  myself  and  my  race.  May  he  forgive 
my  follies  and  sins ;  and  grant  me  wisdom  and  grace  to 


MINISTRY   IN  TROY.  215 

do  his  will,  that  whether  I  remain  in  the  flesh  to  hehold 
another  anniversary  of  my  birth,  or  not,  I  may  possess  a 
conscience  void  of  offence  towards  God  and  men ;  and 
when  called  to  die,  may  I  go  as  cheerfully  as  if  my 
earthly  father  called  me  to  the  most  desirable  and  happy 
condition."  In  the  same  month  (February,  1846)  he 
attended  the  Hudson  River  Association,  at  Glen's  Falls, 
N.  Y.  The  services  of  the  dedication  of  the  new  Uni- 
versalist  church  there  took  place  on  the  first  day  of  the 
meeting,  Mr.  Moore  preaching  the  dedication  sermon. 

In  a  letter  written  to  his  son  about  this  time,  he  takes 
occasion  to  speak  of  a  discourse  heard  by  him,  preached 
by  Rev.  John  Pierpont,  then  pastor  of  the  Unitarian 
society  in  Troy.  For  this  distinguished  man  Mr.  Moore 
had  the  highest  regard,  and  they  were  on  the  most  ami 
cable  terms  in  respect  to  some  of  the  principal  reformatory 
movements  of  the  day.  But  if  there  was  any  one  thing 
on  which  Mr.  Moore  was  peculiarly  sensitive,  it  was  the 
indefmiteness  of  some  Unitarian  writers  and  preachers  on 
the  subject  of  the  future  destiny  of  our  race.  To  him, 
the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of  all  who  die  in  Adam 
to  a  spiritual  life  in  Christ  was  one  of  the  chief  items  of 
instruction  in  the  Christian  revelation,  worthy  to  •  be 
designated  as  the  great  doctrine  of  the  Gospel.  It  was 
an  instruction  beyond  what  nature  distinctly  and  un 
equivocally  gave.  He  was  surprised,  therefore,  to  hear, 
from  one  usually  so  logical  and  clear  on  other  subjects, 
such  a  statement  as  that  of  which  he  writes,  as  to  the 
comparative  language  of  nature  and  revelation  on  human 


216  MEMOIR   OP   JOHN   MOORE. 

destiny  :  "  Yesterday  I  went  to  hear  Mr.  Pierpont,  and 
heard  something  new.  His  subject  was,  'the  Gospel 
adapted  to  affliction.'  He  attempted  to  show  that  it 
afforded  hope  in  reference  to  the  departed  good,  infants, 
etc.,  and  then  inquired  in  reference  to  the  departed  vicious. 
He  took  a  strong  case  of  sinfulness  and  degradation,  and 
asked,  '  Is  there  no  hope  for  such  ?  Yes,  there  is  hope, 
even  in  their  case,  feeble  though  it  may  be,  that  God  will 
in  the  future  put  them  under  a  course  of  discipline,  which, 
in  a  long  series  of  ages,  may  lead  them  to  repentance  and 
acceptance.  This  hope  is  given.  I  do  not  say  the  Gospel 
gives  it,  but  nature  does.'  This  is  verbatim  from  the 
preacher  ;  and  is  surely  a  definite  remark.  But  what  a 
reflection,  it  seems  to  me,  against  the  Gospel!  Nature 
gives  us  hope  for  the  sinner,  which  the  Gospel  does  not ! 
Whom  did  Christ  come  to  save  ?  Must  I  suppose  that, 
if  the  doctrine  of  the  Divine  Paternity  was  peculiarly  ours, 
as  is  that  of  the  final  salvation  of  the  race,  our  Unitarian 
brethren  would  be  unwilling  to  own  that  that  doctrine 
was  taught  in  the  Gospel,  though  nature  might  declare 
it  ? "  Why,  on  these  two  important  subjects,  the  in 
structions  of  nature  should  be  superior  to  those  of  reve 
lation,  he  was  unable  to  perceive. 

During  the  winter  he  had  delivered  a  series  of  lectures 
on  the  Lord's  Prayer.  They  were  well  attended,  and 
seem  to  have  given  good  satisfaction  to  the  hearers.  In 
May  he  attended  the  State  Convention  at  Newark, 
N.  Y.,  and  was  chosen  moderator  of  that  body.  In  June 
he  went  to  Lowell,  Mass.,  where  he  preached  on  the 


MINISTRY   IN  TROY.  217 

Sabbath,  and  then  passed  on  to  Portsmouth,  N.H.,  where 
he  delivered  an  address  before  a  Masonic  assembly. 

Mr.  Moore  had  not  been  long  in  Troy  before  it  seemed 
evident  to  him  that  his  ministry  there  would  not  answer 
his  expectations.  He  was  willing  to  do  his  utmost  for 
his  people,  and  for  the  cause ;  but  discouragements 
appeared  in  his  way,  and  he  could  not  content  himself 
with  the  thought  that  he  must  continue  to  feel  these  dis 
couragements  for  a  long  time  to  come.  No  fault  was 
found  with  his  ministry,  for  which  he  needed  to  care. 
He  had  good  and  true  friends  in  his  people,  as  he  always 
had  everywhere ;  and  gladly  would  his  society  have  re 
tained  him  as  their  minister.  But  the  idea  of  a  removal 
back  to  New  England  had  peculiar  attractions  for  him, 
and  the  more  so  under  present  circumstances.  He  ac 
cordingly  accepted  an  invitation  to  take  charge  of  the 
new  Third  Universalist  Society  in  Lowell,  Mass.  His 
people  learned  his  determination  with  regret,  but  yielded 
to  his  wishes,  and  granted  him  a  release  from  his  engage 
ments  with  them. 

He  accepted  the  invitation  to  Lowell  in  July  ;  but  did 
not  commence  his  ministry  there  until  the  latter  part  of 
September.  In  that  month  the  United  States  Conven 
tion  held  its  annual  session  in  Troy.  At  the  request  of 
the  society  there,  Mr.  Moore  took  charge  of  the  arrange 
ments  for  the  ministers  and  delegates  who  were  to  visit 
the  city  on  this  occasion.  The  session  was  a  very  agree 
able  one. 

Of  his  ministry  in  Troy  one  of  the  members  of  the 
19 


218  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOOEE. 

society  there  has  lately  written  us:  "Mr.  Moore  was 
invited  here  with  great  unanimity,  and  labored  with  us 
to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all.  His  influence  as  a 
moralist,  a  Christian,  a  practical  Universalist,  extended 
beyond  the  limits  of  our  society.  Of  the  many  good 
men,  who  have,  from  time  to  time,  been  settled  with  us, 
no  one,  by  his  good  qualities  of  heart  and  mind,  ever 
secured  a  larger  share  of  esteem  from  all  classes  in  the 
community,  or  took  a  deeper  hold  upon  the  affections  of 
our  society,  than  he ;  and  no  one  ever  left  us  more  re 
gretted  ;  I  might  add,  what  you  may  justly  infer,  that 
the  standard  of  piety  and  religion  must  be  elevated  under 
such  a  ministry, — which  indeed,  in  this  instance,  was 
strictly  true." 


CHAPTER   IX. 

MINISTEY   IN  LOWELL. 

THE  connection  of  Mr.  Moore  with  the  society  in 
Lowell  commenced  on  the  third  Sabbath  in  September, 
1846.  He  says  of  it,  in  writing  to  a  friend :  "  It  is 
really  strange  that  I  should  leave  Troy  so  soon.  But  I 
have  had  but  little  to  do  about  it,  except  to  be  controlled 
by  Providence.  It  seems  like  a  dream ;  but  I  hope  I 
shall  not  awake  to  any  great  calamity." 

He  did  not ;  yet  the  field  into  which  he  had  now  come 
was  not  such  a  one  as  he  deserved  to  have.  There  were 
two  substantial  Universalist  societies  in  Lowell,  having 
able  and  faithful  pastors  —  Rev.  E.  Gr.  Brooks,  and  Rev. 
A.  A.  Miner.  The  formation  of  the  third  society,  some 
time  before  the  coming  of  Mr.  Moore  to  the  city,  was  an 
experiment ;  an  experiment,  however,  which  might  have 
proved  truly  successful,  had  its  basis  been  a  different  one. 
Although  there  were  honest  and  devoted  friends  of  the 
true  Gospel  among  the  number  who  entered  into  this  new 
movement,  the  majority  were  governed  by  views  some- 


220          MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOOEE. 

•what  different  from  those  who  had  been  instrumental  in 
giving  life  and  stability  to  the  other  societies.  The  first 
pastor  of  the  new  society,  Rev.  H.  G.  Smith,  entertained 
opinions  respecting  Christianity  very  much  at  variance 
with  most  of  the  Universalist  fraternity.  He  was  one 
of  the  few  who  had  taken  ground  among  them  similar  to 
that  of  Rev.  Theodore  Parker  among  the  Unitarians. 
His  preaching  caused  much  excitement  at  the  time  of  his 
first  coming  to  Lowell,  and  he  had  large  congregations. 
But  his  popularity  was  short-lived.  The  questions  in 
volved  in  this  new  phase  of  liberal  Christianity  —  which, 
mainly  through  the  influence  of  Mr.  Parker,  had  become 
somewhat  prevalent  in  certain  Unitarian,  and  a  very  few 
Universalist  pulpits  —  were  brought  directly  up  for  con 
sideration  at  a  special  session  of  one  of  the  principal 
associations  in  Massachusetts,  the  next  year ;  of  which 
we  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  more  particularly,  here 
after. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  an  agitation  caused  by  the 
ministry  of  Mr.  Smith,  who  had  favored  and  advocated 
this  new  form  of  Christianity,  that  Mr.  Moore  entered 
upon  his  ministerial  work  in  Lowell.  He  hoped  to  do 
good  there.  So  far  as  he  could  then  see,  there  were 
signs  of  encouragement  for  him.  It  seemed  that  a  new 
and  full  society  might  grow  up  in  the  new  church.  He 
hoped  to  give  such  expositions  of  Christian  truth  as  would 
lead  the  minds  of  his  people  aright,  and  send  out  from 
their  worship-place  a  good  report  of  that  cause  which  he 
had  always  so  near  his  heart.  "  It  seems  to  me  of  more 


MINISTRY   IN  LOWELL.  221 

importance,"  he  writes,  "  that  the  right  influence  should 
be  exerted  here,  than  in  any  other  place  within  my 
knowledge.  That  population  which  is  so  constantly 
ebbing  and  flowing  here  reaches  very  far  over  the  face 
of  our  country ;  hence  the  importance  that  those  who 
are  instructed  in  Universalism  here  should  receive  it  as 
it  is." 

The  first  number  of  the  Gospel  Fountain,  a  weekly 
religious  journal,  was  issued  at  Lowell  in  April  of  this 
year.  Rev.  William  Bell  was  its  editor  and  proprietor. 
He  was  an  old  friend  of  Mf .  Moore ;  and  the  appearance 
of  the  paper  drew  from  the  latter  a  very  warm  congratu 
latory  epistle,  which  appeared  in  the  fourth  number  of 
the  Fountain.  Soon  after  his  removal  to  Lowell,  Mr. 
Moore  became  an  associate  editor  with  Mr.  Bell ;  and 
during  a  brief  editorial  period  he  truly  honored  his 
oflice,  in  the  sensible  and  timely  articles  that  came  from 
*  his  pen.  As  some  of  them  are  equally  valuable  at  the 
present  hour  as  when  he  first  gave  them  to  the  public, 
they  have  been  thought  entitled  to^a  place  in  this  work. 
After  the  issue  of  the  twelfth  number  of  the  Fountain 
the  paper  passed  into  the  hands  of  Rev.  S.  Cobb,  editor 
and  publisher  of  the  Christian  Freeman,  of  Boston,  and 
was  united  with  that  paper. 

The  editor  of  the  Fountain  says  of  the  first  Sabbath 
pastoral  services  of  Mr.  Moore  in  Lowell :  "  It  was  indeed 
a  good  beginning.  The  discourses  —  especially  that  one 
of  the  afternoon  —  were  very  appropriate,  and  were  well 
received  by  the  congregation.  The  preacher  is  well 
19* 


222          MEMOIK  OP  JOHN  MOORE. 

known  in  the  Universalist  fraternity  as  a  good  man  and 
a  good  minister  ;  and  although  our  brethren  of  the  Troy 
society  will  lose  the  pulpit  services  of  a  worthy  pastor, 
we  trust  their  loss  will  be  gain  to  the  cause  in  Lowell." 

In  his  editorial  salutatory  Mr.  Moore  says  to  his 
readers:  "All  that  I  can  do  for  the  promotion  of  the 
cause  of  truth  in  the  vicinity  where  I  dwell,  and  in  the 
world,  has  been  and  shall  be  most  cheerfully  performed. 
I  would  not  labor  merely  for  myself,  but  would  feel  that 
I  am  so  connected  with  my  race  that  to  do  any  of  the 
family  of  man  a  service  is  both  a  duty  and  a  pleasure  ; 
that  my  destiny  is  linked  with  theirs ;  that  when  they  rise 
in  moral  strength  and  glory,  I  rise  with  them,  and  when 
they  sink  in  degradation,  I  also  am  drawn  down.  There 
fore  would  I  do  for  others  as  I  would  have  them  do  for 
me.  I  ask  of  all  who  may  read  anything  from  my  pen 
to  receive  it  as  coming  from  a  pure  motive,  a  friendly 
heart." 

Soon  after  the  beginning  of  his  ministry  here  he  com 
menced  a  series  of  sermons  to  young  men,  which  were 
attended  and  received  with  much  favor  by  large  audiences. 
A  very  serious  accident  befell  him  about  this  time.  In 
coming  out  of  the  First  Universalist  Church  in  the  even 
ing,  he  walked  off  the  stairs,  it  being  very  dark,  and  fell 
eight  or  ten  feet,  his  head  foremost.  He.  was  very  severely 
but  not  dangerously  injured. 

After  his  attendance  at  the  dedication  of  the  High- 
street  Congregational  Church  in  Lowell,  he  thus  speaks 
of  the  occasion :  "  The  services  seem  to  us  very  credit- 


MINISTRY   IN   LOWELL.  223 

able  to  those  who  took  part  in  them,  as  well  as  satisfac 
tory  to  those  who  heard.  The  sermon,  by  the  pastor, 
Rev.  Mr.  Atkinson,  was  a  scriptural  discourse,  plainly 
preached,  and  listened  to  with  marked  attention.  We 
were  much  pleased  to  notice  the  very  great  change  which 
is  apparent  in  the  style  of  preaching  now,  as  compared 
with  that  of  the  same  denomination  twenty  or  even  ten 
years  since.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  denominational 
phrases,  we  could  endorse  the  sentiments  of  the  sermon." 

A  letter  of  consolation  to  a  bereaved  ministering  broth 
er,*  about  this  time,  has  much  of  his  heart  in  it.  An 
amiable  wife,  affectionate  mother,  and  faithful  friend,  had 
departed.  He  had  long  known  her  excellent  character, 
and  enjoyed  her  friendship,  and  that  of  her  surviving 
companion.  Sacred  is  the  tribute  he  pays  to  her  virtue, 
and  wise  and  good  the  exhortation  to  his  brother  that  he, 
in  this  hour  of  bereavement,  consult  the  riches  of  that 
faith  in  the  God  of  all  grace,  which  he  has  so  often  been 
permitted  to  dispense  to  others. 

His  remarks  on  the  settlement  of  Father  Jones  with 
the  Gloucester  society  (the  first  Universalist  society 
organized  in  the  United  States)  contain  some  thoughts 
on  the  subject  of  a  permanent  ministry,  which  will  bear 
examination.  The  remarks  were  occasioned  by  the  then 
recent  decease  of  that  venerable  minister  of  Christ. 

"After  Father  Jones  became  too  old  and  feeble  to  per 
form  the  duties  of  the  pastoral  office,  he  still  received 

*  Rev.  L.  Willis. 


224  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

from  the  society  a  comfortable  support,  notwithstanding 
several  of  its  members  had  left,  in  consequence  of  some 
division  among  them  a  few  years  since.  The  old  parent 
society,  true  to  their  faith,  continued  to  the  last  to  fulfil 
its  promise  to  the  faithful  and  beloved  pastor. 

"  It  is  too  often  the  case  with  the  members  of  a  society, 
that  they  seem  to  forget  their  aged  servants.  Perhaps 
one  reason  is  that  most  of  the  members  are  young,  and 
of  course  have  not  become  so  fully  attached  to  the  old 
minister  as  were  their  fathers  and  mothers.  But,  happily 
for  Father  Jones,  God  spared  him  a  goodly  number  of 
those  who  helped  to  settle  him,  and  who,  knowing  his 
worth,  and  feeling.it  not  only  a  duty,  but  a  privilege,  to 
see  his  wants  supplied,  gladly  stood  by  him  to  the  last 
hour  of  his  life.  Their  conduct  is  commendable ;  their 
reward  great  and  satisfactory. 

"There  are  few,  if  any,  other  instances  in  our  denom 
ination,  where  a  minister  has  been  settled  for  life  ;  which 
renders  the  case  under  consideration  somewhat  more 
interesting,  perhaps,  than  if  our  clergy  were  generally  so 
settled.  Whether  that  is  the  best  mode  to  adopt,  may 
admit  of  a  question ;  and,  still,  there  are  some  things  in 
favor  of  it.  Such  a  plan  could  not  have  been  adopted 
by  us  as  a  people  heretofore,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of 
preachers ;  and  even  now  there  are  but  few  sections  of 
our  country  where  it  could  be  adopted  with  propriety, 
owing  to  the  same  deficiency.  But,  where  it  is  practi 
cable,  the  old  Congregational  fashion,  of  taking  a  min 
ister  as  we  take  a  wife,  '  for  better  or  for  worse,'  is  not  a 


MINISTRY   IN   LOWELL.  225 

bad  one.  Such  a  course  will  undoubtedly  become  more 
and  more  common  with  our  denomination,  as  it  shall 
become  more  fully  supplied  with  ministers.  There  are 
some  societies,  even  now,  which  would  be  glad  to  settle 
for  life  certain  ministers ;  and  there  may  be  ministers 
who  would  accept  such  an  offer,  if  it  came  from  the  right 
quarter,  and,  withal,  accompanied  with  proper  stipulations. 
And,  really,  a  society  that  should  enter  into  such  an 
engagement  with  a  good  man  and  good  minister  would 
not  need  the  pity  of  anybody.  If  it  should  be  satisfied 
with  the  man  of  its  choice,  as  it  would  most  likely  be 
before  closing  the  arrangement,  it  would  not  live  in  con 
stant  fear  lest  some  rival  society  should  entice  him  away ; 
and  he  would  not  be  apprehensive  that  a  majority  might 
vote  against  him  at  the  next  annual  meeting  because  he 
had  preached  one  or  two  exceptionable  sermons,  or  had  vis 
ited  too  much  or  too  little.  And,  then,  there  is  something 
so  sacred  in  the  friendship  which  a  minister  generally 
forms  with  his  people,  that  it  seems  almost  sinful  to  dis 
solve  the  connection  which  produced  it.  If  we  were  to 
go  back  and  live  our  ministerial  life  over  again,  we  would 
abide  by  the  first  settlement,  if  we  could,  as  the  best 
course  for  minister  and  people."  There  are  considera 
tions  here  which  have  brought  the  shadows  over  many 
a  minister's  pathway,  and  hindered  many  a  noble  spirit, 
who  would  have  honored  the  ministry,  from  entering  it  at 
all.  Think  of  it,  ye  who  would  have  the  ministry 
increased,  and  made  strong  and  permanent. 

The  ordination  of  Rev.  A.  R.  Abbott  took  place  in  the 


226  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

Second  Church  in  Lowell,  on  the  evening  of  the  llth 
of  October.  Mr.  Moore  was  chairman  of  the  ordaining 

O 

council.  The  part  assigned  him  in  the  other  services 
was  the  Delivery  of  the  Scriptures  and  Charge.  Of  this 
part  we  can  give  no  better  presentation  here  than  in  the 
language  of  the  candidate  himself  who  was  that  evening 
consecrated  to  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry  :  "The 
particular  form  of  words  in  which  he  addressed  me  has 
wholly  passed  from  my  mind;  but  the  spirit  of  that 
charge  remains  with  me,  and  will,  I  trust,  to  my  dying 
hour.  It  was  such  a  charge  as  none  but  the  great  and 
gentle  of  heart  could  give.  It  was  not  ornamented  with 
the  glittering  tinsel  of  oratory ;  there  was  no  attempt  at 
brilliancy  or  display.  It  was  paternal,  earnest,  Chris 
tian  ;  an  upgushing  from  the  tender  deep  of  a  soul  disci 
plined  to  an  eminent  practical  judgment,  and  sanctified 
by  the  true  spirit  of  the  Gospel.  I  shall  never  forget  the 
dews  of  feeling  that  filled  his  eyes,  and  the  slight  quiver 
ing  of  his  clear  and  manly  voice,  as  he  pressed  the  holy 
book  to  my  embrace,  and  urged  me,  as  a  Christian  min 
ister  of  the  great  Reconciliation,  to  take  that  as  my  au 
thority  and  guide.  I  think  he  had  written  out  his 
charge,  but  I  am  quite  sure  he  did  not  follow  his  manu 
script.  Indeed,  I  do  not  see  how  he.  or  any  one  else, 
could  have  written  out  such  a  charge  as  that  was." 

In  October  he  attended  the  Merrimack  River  Associa 
tion,  in  Amherst,  N.  H..  and  preached  a  discourse  during 
the  meeting :  and  in  November  he  was  present  at  the 
annual  session  of  the  Boston  Association,  in  Maiden, 


MINISTRY   IN  LOWELL.  227 

where  he  preached  also.  Sunday,  December  6th,  he 
writes :  "  Twenty-one  years  ago  this  day,  I  commenced 
my  ministerial  labors  as  a  public  servant  of  God  and 
the  people.  And  I  here  record  the  abundant  mercy  of 
the  Father  to  me  in  the  preservation  of  life  and  health, 
and  in  making  me  successful,  by  the  power  of  his  truth 
and  grace,  beyond  my  highest  expectations.  I  have  been 
able  to  preach  each  Sunday,  with  a  single  exception. 
This  day  I  used  the  same  text,  and  presented  the  same 
doctrinal  views  and  practical  requirements,  that  I  did 
twenty-one  years  since,  on  the  day  when  I  commenced 
my  ministerial  labors.  —  Grave  a  temperance  address  at 
the  City  Hall,  in  the  evening ;  a  host  present.  Thus 
end  the  labors  of  my  twenty-first  ministerial  birth-day." 
In  February,  1847,  he  enters  upon  his  fiftieth  year. 
His  birth-day  thoughts  are  thus  expressed  in  his  journal : 
"  Is  it  possible  that  I  have  lived  fifty  years  ?  So  say  the 
records.  —  Well,  I  thank  God  for  all  the  blessings  that 
have  crowned  my  life,  and  pray  that  I  may  never  enjoy 
less,  if  it  so  please  Him  who  is  the  author  of  all  good. 
May  divine  wisdom  guide,  divine  power  sustain,  divine 
grace  cheer  and  bless  me  still,  that  I  may  do  the  will  of 
the  Father  while  I  live ;  and  when  I  die  may  I  have  the 
assurance,  as  now,  of  God's  unchangeable  and  unending 
love."  Soon  after  this,  we  find  him  communicating  the 
word  of  Christian  sympathy  and  consolation  to  a  dear 
friend  who  had  been  called  to  part  with  one  of  the  most 
amiable  of  husbands,  by  death.  The  departed  one  had 
also  been  on  terms  of  closest  and  kindliest  intimacy  with 


228  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

the  minister ;  and  he  himself  feels  as  a  mourner,  while 
he  would  impart  strength  and  hope  to  one  far  more 
severely  stricken  than  he. 

"Lowell,  February  13^,  1847. — Dear  Sister  and 
Friend  :  Your  brother  called  this  evening,  and  brought 
us  the  very,  unexpected  and  sad  intelligence  of  the  death 
of  your  dear  husband  and  our  beloved  brother  and  friend. 
Can  it  be  so  ?  Shall  we  no  more  meet  him  on  earth  ? 
I  cannot  realize  it. 

"I  am  told  that  you  were  sick  at  the  same  time  he 
was,  and  saw  him  but  once  after  he  was  confined. 
Doubly  distressing,  under  such  circumstances,  must  the 
event  have  been.  Thankful  am  I  that  I  can  direct  you 
to  the  Fountain  of  consolation  and  peace.  I  pray  you, 
let  the  religion  of  your  Saviour  have  its  direct  influences 
now  upon  your  heart,  that  you  may  be  sustained  under 
this  greatest  of  your  trials.  Trust  implicitly  in  that 
Friend  who  has  hitherto  sustained  you,  and  who  hath 
promised  to  befriend  all  his  children.  Few  of  our  race 
in  the  connubial  state  enjoy  so  much  in  each  other's 
society  as  you  and  your  husband  have  since  your  earthly 
interests  were  united.  And  now  that  he  is  taken  from 
you  in  person,  may  you  be  enabled  to  commune  in  spirit 
with  him.  Much  of  heaven  is  there  to  be  enjoyed  even 
here  on  earth,  by  faith  in  the  spiritual  presence  of  de 
parted  friends.  They  live  in  the  spirit  world ;  not  in 
some  far-off  region  from  us,  but  they  may  be  ministering 
angels  of  mercy  to  us  while  we  remain  on  these  shores 
of  mortality.  And  when  we  shall  have  finished  our  days 


MINISTRY   IN  LOWELL.  229 

here,  we  shall  join  them  in  that  spiritual  state  revealed 
in  the  Gospel  as  the  destiny  of  all  who  die  in  Adam. 
Could  my  companion  and  I  bear  a  part  of  the  burden  of 
grief  laid  upon  you,  0,  how  gladly  would  we  do  it !  but 
we  can  only  offer  you  our  kindly  sympathies.  There  is 
one  above  whose  love  is  infinite ;  and  to  Him  you  will 
not  appeal  in  vain." 

In  this  same  month  a  meeting  was  called  in  Boston  to 
take  into  consideration  the  propriety  of  forming  a  State 
Home  Missionary  Society.  He  was  chosen  chairman  of 
the  meeting,  and  manifested  a  lively  interest  in  this  move 
ment,  and  spoke  with  much  fervor  in  behalf  of  it.  The 
meeting  was  a  spirited  and  harmonious  one,  and  resulted 
in  the  formation  of  a  state  society,  which  afterwards 
became  incorporated  by  an  act  of  the  legislature. 

In  a  letter  to  a  friend  during  this  chief  winter  month 
of  New  England,  there  is  so  much  of  the  true  philosophy 
simply  and  easily  expressed,  that  we  have  no  hesitancy 
in  giving  it  to  the  reader.  It  was  evidently  written  in 
the  midst  of  such  a  scene  as  the  author  of  "The  Sea 
sons"  *  had  in  mind,  when  — 

"  The  snows  arise  ;  and  foul  and  fierce 


All  winter  drives  along  the  darkened  air  ;  "  • 


and  when,  in  the  night-time,  our  letter-writer  could  say, 
with  the  same  poetic  dreamer  : 

"  Now,  while  the  drowsy  world  lies  lost  in  sleep, 
Let  me  associate  with  the  serious  Night, 

*  Thomson. 

20 


230  MEMOIR    OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

And  Contemplation,  her  sedate  compeer  ; 
Let  me  shake  off  the  intrusive  cares  of  day, 
And  lay  the  meddling  senses  all  aside." 

"February  22d,  1847. — We  are  now  enjoying  a 
real  old-fashioned  New  England  snow-storm.  It  came 
all  day  yesterday,  and  continued  to-day,  and  yet  holds 
on,  as  if  determined  that  we  shall  have  a  winter  here, 
after  all.  —  I  have  had  a  long  nap  on  the  sofa  this  even 
ing  ;  Mrs.  M.  has  retired,  and  I  am  now  as  wakeful  as  I 
wish  to  be.  How  you  are,  or  where  you  are,  I  do  not 
know ;  but  presume  you  are  somewhere  in  a  comfortable 
corner  while  the  storm  rages  without ;  and  so  I  shall 
write  on  just  as  though  I  were  conversing  with  you  in 
our  '  own  hired  house.' 

"  '  What  a  wonderful  thing,'  as  our  friend  G K 

would  say,  is  a  house !  Here  we  are,  as  comfortable  as 
though  it  was  June,  notwithstanding  the  severity  of  the 
storm  without ;  and,  but  for  the  idea  that  some  poor 
body  is  suffering  by  it,  I  should  love  to  hear  the  winds 
rushing  past,  and  the  snow  drifting  against  the  windows. 
As  it  is,  I  will  enjoy  it  a  little ;  because  my  worrying 
about  the  poor  on  sea  or  land  will  not  help  them  to 
night.  So  I  will  say  to  the  winds,  '  Blow  on,  so  long  as 
ye  pass  me  so  harmlessly.'  Now,  if  we  could  always  re 
tire  within  our  own  sanctum  sanctorum  when  the  storms 
of  passion,  ill-will,  envy,  or  any  evil,  rage ;  or,  when  the 
night  of  death  seems  to  approach  us,  if  we  could  then  and 
always,  by  faith,  enter  that  '  house  not  made  with  hands,' 
how  well  would  it  be  for  us  !  And  can  we  not  do  so  ? 


MINISTRY   IN   LOWELL.  231 

We  account  it  the  utmost  stupidity  in  a  mortal  to  forget 
to  'go  in  when  it  storms.'  And  yet,  how  many  are 
there  who  do  so,  morally —  who  remain  without  till  they 
are  driven  in  only  by  exhaustion  !  Then,  perchance,  they 
think,  how  foolish  to  have  remained  without  so  long !  " 

How  full  of  truth  is  this  thought  of  man's  forgetfulness 
of  the  Author  of  all  good  !  How  little  does  he  realize 
his  need  of  the  sheltering  wing  of  Omnipotence,  until  the 
hardest  of  calamity  is  upon  him  !  How  few  have  "  the 
soul's  calm  sunshine  "  in  the  midst  of  that  moral  win 
ter  through  which  all  mortal  life  must  pass  !  How  few 
realize  thp  full  meaning  of  that  ancient  declaration,  "He 
that  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High  shall 
abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty  ;  "  —  a  shadow, 
indeed,  where  the  light,  though  subdued,  is  not  obscured ; 
but  where  the  trusting  heart  sees  Him  "in  whose  presence 
is  fulness  of  joy,"  and  with  whom  "is  no  darkness  at  all." 

Some  time  in  April  he  listened  to  a  discourse  in  the 
City  Hall,  by  Rev.  William  H.  Charming,  on  the  "  Des 
tiny  of  Man  on  Earth,"  which  he  pronounced  an  eloquent 
and  excellent  effort.  He  remarks  upon  it:  "He  com 
pletely  overthrew  the  whole  foundation  of  the  doctrine  of 
endless  woe ;  showing  most  clearly  that  man  is  a  being 
of  growth,  destined  to  perfection,  like  everything  else  in 
the  creation  of  God  —  to  perfection  in  reference  to  his 
whole  nature  ;  that  the  earth  is  the  general  theatre  for 
the  development  of  all  his  powers  which  are  particularly 
adapted  to  this  world.  This  he  illustrated  by  universal 
analogy ;  by  man's  power  over  the  vegetable,  animal,  and 


232  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

elemental  kingdoms.  His  idea  of  Eden  and  the  '  fall  of 
man,'  as  it  has  been  called,  was,  that  Eden  was  the  state  of 
infancy,  when  the  first  pair  reposed  in  perfect  innocence 
and  peace  there,  as  the  infant  does  on  the  maternal 
hreast ;  that  the  change  was  necessary  to  the  develop 
ment  of  man's  powers;  as  he  was  destined  to  subdue  and 
govern  the  earth  and  its  productions,  he  must  have  expe 
rience,  as  must  the  child  before  he  can  be  a  man." 
These  statements  were  very  welcome  to  him  who  thus 
makes  record  of  them.  They  were  confirmations  of  that 
excellent  faith  which  he  had  long  believed  himself  com 
missioned  to  declare  to  his  fellow-men. 

In  June  Mr.  Moore  was  called  to  visit  East  Thomas- 
ton,  Me.,  and  address  a  meeting  of  Masonic  lodges  in 
that  place.  He  complied  with  the  invitation,  and  met 
with  a  warm  welcome  from  the  fraternity  in  Maine.  The 
meeting  was  held  in  nature's  own  temple,  there  being  no 
church  in  the  place  that  could  contain  the  assembled 
multitude.  "  Whether  they  came  to  hear  me,"  he  writes, 
^'or  on  account  of  another  John,*  we  may  not  know 
certainly  ;  but  the  company  was  a  great  one,  of  all  ages, 
sizes,  and  ranks.  The  dinner  was  an  ample  'down 
caster,' — enough  for  seven  times  the  number  that  ate :  and 
the  tables  were  nearly  filled.  Thus,  in  forty-two  hours 
I  travelled  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles  :  eleven 
hours  in  Thomaston;  seventeen  in  a  comfortable  berth, 
( rocked  in  the  cradle  of  the  deep ; '  and  the  other  fourteen 

*  It  iras  St  John's  Day. 


MINISTRY  IN  LOWELL.  233 

in  gazing  at  ( the  manifold  works  of  God,'  not  the  least 
of  which  is  the  sea,  ( wherein  go  the  ships.'  To-day  I 
am  modi  exhausted.  Speaking  in  the  open  air,  with  the 
wind  in  my  face,  was  hard  work.  Bat  I  went  through 
with  it"  One  of  the  sentiments  offered  at  this  festival 
was  the  following :  "  The  Orator  of  the  Day :  A  worthy 
representative  from  the  city  of  spindles.  The  web  he 
has  this  day  woven,  in  the  illustration  of  the  spirit  and 
principles  of  our  order,  shows  him  to  be  '  a  workman  that 
needeth  not  to  be  ashamed.7  ?: 

Speaking  in  his  correspondence,  about  this  time,  of  a 
ministering  brother,  he  humorously  remarks  :  "  We 

did  not  see  Br.  M on  his  return.  Poor  man !  He 

must  have  had  a  hard  time  of  it  Hope  he  is  not  sick 
from  his  excessive  labors  of  body  and  mind  for  the  last 
two  weeks !  We  poor  ministers  (I  mean  poor  in  purse) 
have  our  trials,  don't  we?  But  what  would  the  world 
do  without  us?  And  what  should  we  do  without  the 
world?  Mutually  dependent  are  we." 

By  the  month  of  June,  this  year,  it  began  to  be  evi 
dent  to  the  mind  of  the  pastor  that  the  society  with 
which  he  was  connected  would  not  be  able  to  Timintai^ 
themselves  in  the  work  they  had  undertaken.  The 
debt  which  had  been  incurred  in  the  erection  of  the 
church  was  more  than  could  be  met  and  conveniently 
managed  by  the  society ;  and  added  to  this  was  die  fact 
that  so  great  a  diversity  of  opinion  existed  in  the  con 
gregation,  as  to  imdri  it  altogether  improbable  that 
they  could,  for  any  length  of  time,  unitedly  agree  in 
20* 


234         MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

the  maintenance  of  a  ministry  of  so  judiciously  conser- 
ative,  steady,  and  sound  a  kind,  as  that  of  Mr.  Moore. 
Had  there  been,  from  the  beginning,  a  different  ministry 
•with  that  people,  —  such  a  ministry  as  the  First  and 
Second  societies  in  that  city  had  enjoyed,  —  a  far  differ 
ent  and  more  agreeable  work  -would  have  been  before 
him ;  a  third  and  noble  society  might  have  grown  up 
there.  But  the  first  ministry  decided  the  question  of 
its  life  or  death,  its  dishonor  or  glory.  The  new  min 
ister  could  not  be  long  satisfied  in  the  midst  of  such 
conflicting  elements,  without  the  prospect  of  realizing 
something  like  a  peaceable  fusion  of  them  into  one 
motive  and  action  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of  truth.  With 
these  considerations  weighing  heavily  upon  him,  he  was 
induced  to  ask  his  release  as  pastor  of  the  society. 
And  this  was  granted  him ;  granted  him,  too,  on  the 
most  friendly  terms. 

On  the  fourth  of  July,  this  year,  Mr.  Moore,  by  invi 
tation,  delivered  an  oration  before  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  in  Lowell,  under  whose  direction  a  cele 
bration  of  the  day  had  been  planned,  and  which  was 
carried  out  by  them  in  a  manner  worthy  the  day,  and 
highly  creditable  to  the  fraternity.  The  oration  of  Mr. 
Moore  was  fervent  and  patriotic;  abounding  in  good 
sense,  and  in  profitable  suggestions,  as  well  as  in  national 
self-compliment  and  praise.  It  elicited  strongest  proofs 
of  approbation  from  those  who  heard  it. 

About  the  time  of  his  resignation  in  Lowell,  he  sig 
nified  his  acceptance  of  an  invitation  from  the  Second 


MINISTRY   IN  LOWELL.  235 

Universalist  Society  in  Lynn,  to  become  their  pastor. 
The  Lord  seeth  not  as  man  seeth.  To  human  apprehen 
sion  it  seemed  as  though  that  congregation  in  Lowell 
ought  to  have  had  clearer  perceptions  of  truth  and  duty, 
and  strength  of  moral  purpose  sufficient  to  have  retained 
such  a  friend  for  their  leader  and  guide,  as  he  would 
have  been  to  them.  But  the  laws  of  the  Infinite  One 
do  not  change;  and  the  history  of  this  society,  under 
the  working  of  them,  was  but  a  new  evidence  of  the 
old  truth,  —  a  truth  applying  to  associations  as  to  the 
individual:  " Be  not  deceived ;  God  is  not  mocked;  for 
whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap." 


CHAPTER  X. 

MINISTRY  IN  LYNN. 

THE  ministry  of  Mr.  Moore  in  Lynn  commenced  on 
the  second  Sabbath  in  August,  1847.  His  discourses  to 
his  new  people  on  that  day  were  upon  the  objects  of  his 
intended  labors  with  them,  the  means  he  should  employ 
in  the  prosecution  of  these  labors,  and  the  duties  of  the 
society  in  cooperation  with  its  pastor.  He  writes  in  his 
journal  of  this  day  :  "  May  the  blessing  of  God  rest  on 
the  connection,  and  prosper  the  labors  of  both  pastor  and 
people  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  cause  of  truth  and  love." 

The  character  of  Lynn  was  a  peculiar  one.  A  brother 
in  the  ministry  had  thus  spoken  of  it,  not  long  before 
Mr.  Moore  became  one  of  its  citizens  :  "I  find  a  very 
different  state  of  things  here  from  that  in  Connecticut. 
There,  there  was  too  much  conservatism  ;  here,  there  is 
too  much  radicalism."  It  was  one  of  the  towns  in  New 
England  where  many  opinions,  especially  on  reformatory 
subjects,  were  represented ;  where  all  shades  of  religious 
peculiarities  were  seen,  from  the  most  bigoted  Puritanism, 


MINISTRY  IN   LYNN.  237 

to  the  hardest  anti-churchism  of  which  the  come-outers 
could  boast.  Our  pastor  knew  his  duty  in  the  midst  of 
all  these  sects  and  anti-sects,  and  he  proceeded  to  do  it. 
The  Gospel  which  he  brought  with  him  did  not  change 
by  transportation.  It  kept  its  own,  especially  in  his 
ministry,  and  inspired  him  to  faithfulness  in  the  promul 
gation  of  it,  whatever  strange  fires  might  be  burning 
around  him.  His  word  and  work  here,  as  elsewhere, 
answered  to  the  apostolic  declaration :  "  For  I  determined 
to  know  nothing  among  you  save  Jesus  Christ  and  him 
crucified." 

The  First  Society  in  Lynn  had  been  established  for 
years.  It  was  now  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Kev. 
Merritt  Sanford,  formerly  a  neighbor  of  Mr.  Moore,  he 
having  been  settled  in  Middletown  at  the  time  of  the 
ministry  of  Mr.  Moore  in  Hartford,  Conn.  The  second 
society,  of  which  Mr.  Moore  was  pastor,  was  newly  born. 
It  had  a  few  years  before  been  of  the  Christian  connection, 
and  was  now  made  up  of  materials  needing  to  be  united 
and  compacted  together  for  the  work  of  Christian  truth. 
The  minister  was  ready  to  give  himself  to  this  work  with 
his  people.  His  installation  took  place  on  Sabbath  even 
ing,  October  3d.  The  Discourse  on  the  occasion  was  by 
Rev.  A.  A.  Miner,  of  Lowell ;  the  Installing  Prayer,  by 
Eev.  D.  K.  Lee,  of  Salem  ;  Fellowship,  by  Rev.  M.  San- 
ford  ;  Address  to  the  Society,  by  Rev.  E.  Fisher,  of 
Salem;  Concluding  Prayer,  by  Rev.  J.  H.  Moore,  of 
Warren. 

As  early  as  November  1st,  after  his  settlement,  he 


238  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOOEE. 

humorously  writes,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend  at  Lebanon, 
N.  H. :  •  "  You  see  by  the  date  of  this  that  we  are  in  the 
well-known  '  shoe  town '  where  '  Molly  Pitcher '  used  to 
tell  fortunes,  and  where  we  may  expect  to  have  our  for 
tunes  told,  if  we  do  not  leave  here  before  '  Dame  Fortune ' 
shall  make  our  acquaintance.  Speaking  of  leaving,  reminds 
me  of  having  lived,  or  rather  'stayed,'  in  Lowell,  some 
time  since.  You  see  the  letter  L  seems  to  have  a  charm 
for  us,  especially  when  it  is  used  to  spell  the  name  of  a 
town.  But  it  seems  strange  that  a  body  of  my  dimen 
sions  should  have  made  three  removes  within  the  short 
space  of  two  years.  It  is  even  so,  however ;  and  who 
will  deny  that  I  belong  to  the  '  movement  party  '  ? 
*  *  *  *  *  * 

"  We  find  ourselves  in  a  neat  little  cottage,  just  large 
enough  for  us,  with  as  many  rooms  as  we  really  need, 
and  a  cellar  so  dry  that  we  use  it  for  a  wood-house.  We 
have  also  a  garden,  filled  with  choice  fruit-trees  in  a 
bearing  state.  All  for  ninety  dollars  a  year.  The  min 
ister's  salary,  seven  hundred  dollars.  No  getting  rich 
very  fast  in  '  filthy  lucre ;  '  but  we  are  '  well  to  live '  in 
faith,  and  hope,  and  charity,  and  reconciliation,  which, 
on  the  whole,  insures  us  much  happiness.  Would  you 
believe  it  ?  Or,  do  you  ask  how  can  it  be  ?  We  answer, 
come  and  see.  We  will  tell  you  how  to  live  on  a  small 
income,  and  grow  rich,  and  be  happy.  It  is  easily  done 
when  you  have  learned  the  secret." 

In  the  same  letter  he  takes  occasion  to  speak  of  the 
death  of  Col.  Ransom,  of  the  United  States  army,  who 


MINISTRY   IN  LYNN.  '  239 

was  killed  at  the  storming  of  Chepultepec,  on  the  eighth 
of  September.  He  was  a  personal  and  highly-esteemed 
friend  of  Mr.  Moore,  and  a  gentleman  of  very  noble 
character.  He  had  formerly  been  connected  with  the 
Military  School  at  Norwich,  Vt,  under  the  supervision 
of  Capt.  Alden  Partridge.  His  thoughts  upon  this  death, 
and  upon  the  war  which  occasioned  it,  are  given  in 
another  part  of  this  volume. 

The  annual  session  of  the  Boston  Association  of  Uni- 
versalists  was  held  in  Lynn,  on  the  first  Wednesday  and 
Thursday  in  November  of  this  year.  The  occasional 
sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  T.  D.  Cook,  of  South 
Boston.  Sermons  were  also  delivered  by  Rev.  Hosea 
Ballou  and  Rev.  E.  H.  Cbapin.  The  session,  with  one 
or  two  exceptions,  was  an  agreeable  one.  The  subject 
of  Christian  Fellowship  came  up  for  consideration;  a 
subject  involving  the  rationalistic  theology,  which  had 
already  manifested  itself  to  some  extent  in  a  few  societies 
within  the  limits  of  the  association.  A  more  ample  con 
sideration  of  this  question  was  proposed,  at  a  subsequent 
session  of  the  association,  in  December,  at  Cambridge- 
port. 

In  a  letter  to  his  son  about  this  time,  he  has  another 
word  about  the  philosophy  of  life.  "I  think  I  have 
learned  how  to  be  happy.  Would  you  be  led  into  the 
secret  ?  Here  it  is.  Make  the  best  of  everything.  We 
can  do  this.  No  matter  how  many  strange  or  perverse 
ones  there  may  be.  Only  be  a  man ;  gather  up  your 
strength,  and  say  to  your  nerves,  '  Be  still.'  Open  your 


240-  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

eyes,  and  see  Divine  Providence,  and  all  things  working 
out  the  accomplishment  of  his  will  and  our  good." 

The  special  meeting  of  the  Boston  Association,  already 
mentioned,  took  place  in  the  meeting-house  of  the  Uni- 
versalist  society  in  Cambridgeport,  on  Wednesday,  De 
cember  1st.  It  was  opened  with  prayer  by  Mr.  Moore. 
There  were  forty-two  clerical  and  fifty-one  lay  delegates 
present.  The  resolution,  the  substance  of  which  was 
discussed  through  the  day,  was  finally  passed  in  ,the  fol 
lowing  form : 

V  Resolved,  That  this  Association  express  its  solemn 
conviction  that,  in  order  for  one  to  be  regarded  as  a 
Christian  minister  with  respect  to  Faith,  he  must  believe 
in  the  Bible  account  of  the  life,  teachings,  miracles, 
death,  and  resurrection,  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  The 
resolution  prevailed  by  a  majority  of  sixty-one.  The 
discussion  was  an  able  one,  and  may  be  regarded  as  one 
of  the  signal  vindications,  by  Universalists,  of  the  New 
Testament  evidences  of  Christianity. 

On  the  return  of  his  birth-day,  in  February,  1848,  we 
find  this  record  in  his  journal :  "  Here  comes  my  birth 
day  again,  making  me,  in  spite  of  my  remonstrances, 
fifty-one  years  old.  Shall  I  live  to  see  fifty-two  ?  None 
but  God  can  answer.  I  will  not  be  anxious  about  the 
time  of  my  death,  nor  the  circumstances  attending  it. 
I  have  no  doubt  that  it  will  come  just  in  the  right  time, 
and  under  just  the  right  circumstances ;  for  God  doeth  all 
things  well.  My  greatest  anxiety  shall  be  to  do  my 


MINISTRY   IN   LYNN.  241 

duty  while  I  live.  May  heavenly  wisdom  guide  me  in 
all  things." 

On  Sunday,  February  9th,  Mr.  Moore  preached  a  dis 
course  to  his  people  on  the  then  recent  death  of  Hon. 
John  Quincy  Adams,  in  Washington.  His  tribute  to  the 
memory  of  this  excellent  statesman  was  truthful  and  im 
pressive,  and  the  lessons  which  he  drew  from  the  charac 
ter  and  life  of  the  departed,  sound  and  practical. 

Some  time  in  the  month  of  March  we  find  him  writing 
to  a  friend  in  reference  to  the  revolution  which  had  just 
broken  out  in  France.  He  felt,  as  did  many  other 
Americans,  when  this  new  demonstration  took  place,  that 
it  was  more  hopeful  than  the  subsequent  working  of 
events  has  proved  it  to  have  been.  "What  shalf  we 
think  of  the  revolution  in  France  ?  Must  it  not  be  the 
Lord's  doings?  Not  lords  temporal.  What  a  change 
has  come  over  the  spirit  of  that  people !  God  grant 
them  wisdom  to  maintain  and  establish  their  principles, 
'  Liberty,  Equality,  Fraternity,3  a  blessed  trio !  If 
France  shall  establish  and  maintain  a  government  based 
on  these  principles,  as  set  forth  by  Lamartine,  within 
fifty  years  there  will  be  seen  the  beaming  of  the  last 
crown  in  Europe.  The  people  will  at  length  have  their 
rights.  God  speed  the  day !  "  These  indications,  in 
which  our  brother  rejoiced,  were  unmistakable  ones, 
although  the  good  shadowed  forth  in  them  may  yet  be 
afar  oif. 

In  a  letter  to  a  highly -esteemed  friend,  now  some 
what  advanced  in  life,  and  with  whom  he  long  held  cor- 
21 


242  MEMOIR  OP  JOHN  MOOEE. 

respondence,*  he  writes,  under  date  May  10, 1848 :  "You 
speak  of  your  age, —  sixty-nine.  Let  me  think ;  I  shall 
be  there,  if  I  live  eighteen  years.  How  rapidly  time 
flies  !  Well,  let  it  pass.  Our  lives  are  long  enough  if 
well  spent,  and  quite  long  enough  if  not.  What  must  be 
the  feelings  of  one  who  is  '  without  God  and  without  hope 
in  the  world,'  where  age  and  infirmities  are  taking  the 
place  of  youth  and  strength  ?  I  think,  if  there  is  any 
one  condition  more  distressing  than  any  other,  it  is  that 
of  the  aged  man  or  woman  who  has  made  a  god  of  any 
of  the  things  of  this  world ;  who  has  spent  the  early 
and  meridian  days  of  life  in  luxury  and  sin,  without  hav 
ing  become  acquainted  with  God  and  his  grace ;  and, 
when  too  old  to  engage  in  the  active  duties  of  life,  has 
nothing  which  will  sustain  and  cheer  the  mind  in  view 
of  death.  And  such  is  the  condition  of  many.  I  pity 
them.  They  do  not  perceive  their  mistake  till  it  is  too 
late  in  life  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements  for  a 
happy  old  age ;  and  hence  their  last  days  are  not  their 
best,  but  are  spent  in  useless  and  unreasonable  complaints 
against  providence,  when  the  proper  training  of  the  mind 
in  earlier  life  would  have  enabled  them  to  have  died  in 
peace,  and  full  of  hope  in  God." 

In  the  latter  part  of  June  Mr.  Moore  visited  Hartford. 
He  preached  two  Sabbaths  to  his  former  charge,  and 
during  this  absence  from  home,  beside  his  private  calls, 
he  visited  several  lodges  of  Odd  Fellows,  one  Masonic 

*  Jabez  A.  Douglass,  Esq.,  Hanover,  N.  H. 


MINISTRY  IN  LYNN.  243 

lodge,  a  ladies' temperance  levee,  and  a  Masonic  celebra 
tion  at  New  Britain,  at  which  place  he  made  a  very 
acceptable  speech.  He  also  delivered  a  public  address  at 
the  dedication  of  the  new  Odd  Fellows'  hall  in  East 
Hartford.  On  the  evening  of  the  second  Sabbath  during 
his  visit  in  Hartford,  he  addressed  the  Washington  Tem 
perance  Society  in  that  city. 

On  the  Fourth  of  July  he  joined  in  a  temperance  cel 
ebration  by  the  people  of  Lynn.  There  was  a  public 
procession,  and  services  in  the  First  Methodist  church, 
where  addresses  were  made  by  several  clergymen  of  the 
place,  himself  among  the  number. 

The  ordination  of  Rev.  B.  F.  Bowles  as  pastor  of  the 
Second  Universalist  Society  in  Salem  took  place  on 
Wednesday,  July  12th.  Mr.  Moore  was  moderator  of 
the  ordaining  council,  and  took  part  in  the  public  services 
of  the  occasion.  On  Sunday,  the  23d,  he  was  present  at 
the  ordination  of  Rev.  Darwin  Mott  as  pastor  of  the 
First  Society  in  Lynn ;  and,  for  some  days  before  the  month 
closed,  was  employed  as  one  of  a  committee  to  whom  was 
referred  a  case  of  ministerial  discipline, —  a  case  in  which 
he  evinced,  in  a  peculiar  manner,  his  clearness  of  percep 
tion,  hi»  strict  sense  of  justice,  his  firmness  and  devoted- 
ness  to  truth  and  to  duty. 

In  one  of  his  friendly  letters,  about  this  time,  he  writes : 
"I  have  just  been  out  to  attend  the  funeral  of  a  little 
child  whose  father  is  an  intemperate  man,  and  who  has 
left  a  home  of  but  few  attractions.  To-morrow  I  am  to 
attend  the  funeral  of  a  little  boy,  who  was  one  of  the 


244  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

most  lovely  children  I  ever  saw,  and  whose  parents  are 
among  the  most  respectable  of  the  place.  Here  we  have 
both  extremes  of  society.  To-day,  a  few  poor  neighbors 
came  in ;  to-morrow,  many  of  the  more  wealthy  and  ap 
parently  virtuous  will  be  there  to  sympathize  with  the 
family.  Now,  the  causes  of  the  difference  in  the  condition 
of  these  two  families,  living  in  the  same  street,  may  be 
traced  to  circumstances  over  which  neither  had  any  con 
trol  ;  and  yet  how  differently  are  they  regarded  by  the 
world !  I  have  been  led,  innocently,  to  ask,  Which  of 
the  two  families  would  have  received  most  of  the  sympa 
thy  of  our  Saviour  ?  If  there  had  been  any  difference, 
would  it  not  have  been  rather  in  favor  of  the  poor  one  ? 
So  his  Gospel  would  seem  to  teach.  And  yet  how  differ 
ently  from  this  do  most  Christian  people  see !  " 

A  correspondence  was  held,  about  this  time,  between 
Mr.  Moore  and  the  committee  of  the  Canton-street  Uni- 
versalist  society,  in  Boston,  as  to  the  probability  of  his 
acceptance  of  an  invitation  to  become  their  pastor.  In 
the  mean  time  he  had  been  in  consultation  with  the  com 
mittee  of  his  society  as  to  the  prospect  of  their  sustaining 
him.  After  a  very  friendly  and  fair  consideration  of 
the  matter,  it  was  decided  that  he  would  continue  in 
Lynn. 

An  article  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Moore,  entitled  "  Con 
fidence  in  the  Ministry,"  appeared  about  this  time  in  the 
Trumpet.  It  was  a  just  vindication  of  the  ministry 
against  the  aspersions  sometimes  cast  upon  it  by  the  rash 
and  inconsiderate ;  and  is  a  truthful  exhibition  of  his  own 


MINISTRY  IN  LYNN.  245 

views  of  ministerial  sincerity,  dignity,  and  responsibility. 
After  stating  three  reasons  why  the  immoralities  of  the 
clergy  appear  so  great, —  namely,  the  prominent  position 
they  occupy,  the  expectation  that  they  will  always  give 
good  examples  in  themselves  to  others,  and  the  compara 
tive  infrequency  of  manifest  vice  in  the  ministerial  char 
acter,  —  he  says : 

"  When  a  clergyman  makes  a  false  step,  the  world 
knows  it.  And,  as  the  people  look  for  examples  from 
the  minister,  if  he  fails  in  one  thing,  they  regard  him  as 
having  failed  in  all  things ;  and  when  one  clergyman 
falls,  all  are  suspected  by  some  people,  and  the  word  goes 
round,  '  I  have  lost  my  confidence  in  the  ministry.'  And 
so  the  whole  profession  suffers  in  the  public  estimation  by 
the  sins  of  one.  No  matter  who  that  one  is ;  no  matter 
to  which  of  the  denominations  he  belongs ;  no  matter  how 
seldom  such  an  event  occurs ;  all  who  are  regarded  as 
clergymen  suffer  more  or  less  by  that  one  defection.  It 
must  be  so  from  the  influence  of  the  social  law ;  and  I 
would  not  find  fault  with  that  law,  nor  with  its  penalty. 
It  is  according  to  the  arrangement  of  infinite  wisdom, 
that,  if  one  member  be  degraded,  all  suffer  on  account  of 
that  degradation ;  if  one  be  honored,  all  are  elevated  by 
that  honor.  Nor  would  I  murmur  at  the  fact  that  min 
isters  are  required  to  be  'examples  to  the  flock,'  and 
therefore  that  they  must  occupy  conspicuous  and  respons 
ible  stations ;  but  I  would  remonstrate  against  that  un 
reasonableness  exhibited  by  some  persons,  who  throw 
away,  as  useless  and  blameworthy,  a  whole  class,  because 
21* 


246  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

some  of  its  members  are  corrupt,  weak,  or  unstable. 
Christ's  ministry  was  just  as  important  after  as  before 
the  treachery  of  Judas.  The  other  disciples  were  not  at 
fault  because  Judas  betrayed  his  Master.  No  more 
should  the  true  and  devoted  ministers  of  Christ  now  be 
condemned,  because,  occasionally,  some  one  of  their  num 
ber  betrays  his  weakness  of  moral  principle  by  a  departure 
from  a  truly  Christian  course ;  unless  they  winked  at  his 
sin ;  in  which  case  they  would  become  partakers  of  it,  and 
be  justly  condemned.  Nor  should  any  one  suffer  their 
confidence  in  the  ministry  to  be  greatly  disturbed,  because 
of  the  obliquity  of  a  few,  who,  in  an  evil  hour,  it  may  be, 
were  overcome  by  temptation,  and  induced  to  take  one 
wrong  step,  and  then,  perhaps,  were  too  short-sighted  to 
perceive  the  result,  and  continued  on  in  that  course,  in 
the  delusive  hope  of  being  able  to  regain  the  path  of  vir 
tue,  without  having  it  known  that  they  had  ever  forsaken 
it." 

In  October  he  journeyed  to  Vermont ;  preached  two 
Sabbaths  in  Strafford,  Vt,  and  one  in  Lebanon,  N.  H. 
He  was  solicited  by  his  friends  in  Lebanon  to  return  and 
make  his  home  again  with  them.  But  he  did  not  deem 
it  his  duty  so  to  do.  In  November  he  was  present  at  the 
annual  session  of  the  Boston  Association  in  Lowell.  On 
the  evening  of  the  15th  of  December  he  delivered  an 
address  before  the  Daughters  of  Temperance  in  Kittery, 
Me. 

During  the  winter  he  labored  assiduously  with  his 
people.  The  meetings  on  the  Sabbath  were  usually  well 


MDTISTBY   DT  LYMf.  247 

attended.  A  remissness  in  the  payments  of  their  does  on 
the  part  of  the  society,  however,  occasioned  him  not  a 
little  anxiety. 

In  a  letter  to  a  friend  in  Hartford,  dated  March  12, 
1849,  he  writes :  "I  often  seem  to  see  myself  in  your 
streets,  going  in  familiarly  to  your  pleasant  families,  join 
ing  your  social  circles,  attending  your  weddings,  meeting 
the  children  in  the  Sabbath-school  exercises,  '  preaching 
the  word,'  encouraging  the  Washingtonians,  standing  by 
the  bed  of  sickness  and  death,  and  speaking  words  of 
comfort  to  the  mourner.  These  are  the  varied  duties 
which  devolve  on  the  pastor ;  and  where  they  have  been 
duly  performed  and  appreciated,  attachments  have  been 
formed  lasting  as  mortal  memory."  He  adds:  "What 
is  to  be  my  future  condition  in  regard  to  location,  is 
known  only  to  the  Infinite  Mind.  I  have  been  twice  in 
vited  away  from  here ;  to  Boston  and  to  Lebanon.  I  am 
now  importuned  to  return  to  Strafford,  Yt,  our  native 
town,  where  I  commenced  my  ministerial  career,  and 
where  rest  the  mortal  remains  of  all  four  of  our  parents. 
But  I  cannot  say  what  will  be  the  result  Hitherto,  I 
have  had  but  little  to  do  in  my  movements.  Providence 
has  '  led  or  driven 3  me,  and  I  believe  'only  where  I  best 
and  safest  might  abide.'  :  In  the  same  communication 
he  speaks  of  the  interest  awakened  by  the  theological 
position  taken  by  Dr.  Bushnell,  of  Hartford.  "  What  a 
stir  has  this  man  made  !  Xow,  his  views  on  many  points, 
as  expressed  in  his  book,*  are  precisely  such  as  we  have 

•Views  of  Christian  Nurture. 


248  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

entertained  and  endeavored  to  promulgate  for  years.  But 
he  comes  out  with  them  as  something  new,  and  his  op- 
posers  think  him  heretical.  Take  one  point, — 'that  of 
'  Christian  culture,'  or  the  training  of  the  young  mind 
into  the  life  of  Christianity,  without  any  marvellous  or 
supernatural  change.  You  and  I  have  entertained  these 
views  from  early  life.  And  so  of  other  sentiments  advo 
cated  by  the  doctor." 

It  was  in  the  spring-time  of  this  year  that  Rev.  Merritt 
Sanford  departed  this  life.  He  had  just  made  engage 
ments  with  the  Universalist  society  in  Warren,  Mass.,  to 
become  its  pastor,  and  while  preparing  to  remove  thither 
was  taken  ill.  He  went  to  Warren,  not  thinking  his 
illness  would  continue  long,  where  he  became  worse,  and 
sunk  rapidly.  He  died  on  the  22d  of  April.  His  death 
was  a  loss  to  the  denomination  and  to  the  Christian  pub 
lic.  He  was  a  faithful  pastor,  a  hard  student,  a  good 
scholar,  an  earnest  and  true  preacher,  and  one  of  the 
noblest  of  men.  His  former  parishioners  in  Lynn,  on 
hearing  of  his  death,  passed  some  very  expressive  resolu 
tions  in  honor  of  him. 

Mr.  Moore  was  invited  to  go  to  Warren  and  attend 
the  funeral.  The  services  took  place  on  the  morning  of 
Saturday,  the  28th.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day 
he  was  called  to  the  funeral  of  the  little  child  of  his  son, 
it  having  died  since  he  had  reached  the  place.  On  the  next 
Sabbath  Mr.  Moore  preached  the  funeral  discourse  of  his 
brother  in  the  ministry  to  a  deeply-affected  audience. 

Another  "movement"   is  now  contemplated  by  our 


MINISTRY   IN   LYNN.  249 

minister,  not  without  serious  inquiries  respecting  his 
duty.  He  accepts  the  call  of  his  friends  in  Straiford, 
Vt. ;  and  on  the  first  Sabbath  in  May  delivered  his  con 
cluding  discourse  to  his  people,  from  that  excellent  bene 
diction  of  the  apostle :  "  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesua 
Christ,  the  love  of  God,  and  the  communion  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  be  with  you  all,  Amen."  He  had  found  some  of 
the  worthiest  of  friends  in  this  society ;  and  is  still  remem 
bered  there  with  deep  esteem  and  affection.  The  pecuni 
ary  prosperity  of  the  society  has  been  greater  since  the 
time  of  his  settlement  there. 

Speaking  of  his  connection  with  our  ministers  and  peo 
ple  in  the  vicinity  of  Lynn,  Rev.  J.  W.  Putnam,  of  Dan-- 
vers,  has  written:  "Before  me  are  the  records  of  an 
association  known  as  the  '  Essex  Ministerial  Circle.' 
While  his  name  frequently  occurs,  first  in  his  well-known 
autograph  among  the  original  signatures  to  the  constitu 
tion,  and  again  as  the  second  essayist  of  the  circle,  I  am 
reminded  of  the  habitual  cheerfulness  with  which  he  met 
us  at  all  times.  His  countenance,  always  one  of  the 
happiest  exponents  of  Christian  peace  and  good- will,  we 
were  accustomed  to  hail  as  a  benediction  upon  the  meet 
ing.  I  have  no  recollection  of  him  as  a  critic.  His  sug 
gestions  touching  any  fault  of  reasoning,  or  any  blemish 
of  expression,  were  the  spontaneous  radiations  of  a  heart 
that  could  not  wound  more  than  the  sunlight,  that  falls 
with  a  spirit  scarcely  more  beneficent.  His  removal  from 
the  limits  of  the  circle,  of  which  he  had  been  an  esteemed 
and  active  member,  was  an  occasion  of  universal  regret." 


CHAPTER    XI. 

MINISTRY    IN    STRAFFORD. 

OUR  brother  found  a  warm  welcome  in  his  native  town. 
More  than  twenty  years  had  passed  away  since  he  went 
out  from  it  to  proclaim  to  his  fellow-men  the  l '  unsearch 
able  riches  of  Christ."  Many  changes  during  this  time 
had  taken  place.  Aged  ones  had  gone  to  their  long 
homes,  youth  had  grown  to  maturity,  and  a  new  gener 
ation  had  started  into  being.  The  town  itself,  however, 
was  the  same  old  place  of  his  earlier  days ;  for  changes 
had  not  gone  on  as  they  are  wont  to  be  seen  in  the  new 
towns  and  cities  which  have,  within  the  time  of  one  gen 
eration  past,  arisen  in  various  parts  of  New  England.  A 
home  here  was  still  a  home  in  the  country  ;  and  hither 
our  preacher  came  from  that  city  at  whose  feet  the  waters 
of  the  ocean  murmur,  into  this  interior  of  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  where  the  free  airs  of  the  hills  breathe 
the  freshness  of  forest  and  field,  and  the  sun  in  his  daily 
coursing  looks  down  upon  a  rural  life  of  health,  and 
peace,  and  freedom.  It  was  in  this  home,  in  the  midst 


MINISTRY   IN    STRAFFORD.  251 

of  old  and  familiar  scenes,  that  the  minister  was  to  find 
new  inspiration  to  his  work  of  love,  and  new  enjoyment 
in  the  prosecution  of  it. 

In  a  letter,  written  soon  after  he  became  fixed  in  his 
new  home,  to  his  friend,  Rev.  Thomas  Whittemore,  of 
Boston,  he  gives  this  account  of  himself,  and  of  his  minis 
terial  prospects : 

"  We  arrived  at  our  native  town  before  tea-time,  the 
same  day  we  left  Boston ;  which  was  a  somewhat  quicker 
passage  than  you  had  the  first  time  you  came  this  way, 
September,  1824,  to  attend  the  '  General  Convention.' 
That,  you  know,  was  the  first  time  we  met  —  about  a 
year  before  I  commenced  my  ministerial  career.  What 
a  glorious  time  we  enjoyed !  You  preached  on  that 
occasion,  and  said  (from  Paul,  as  a  text),  "Though  I 
preach  the  Gospel,  I  have  nothing  to  glory  of,  for  neces 
sity  is  laid  upon  me ;  yea,  woe  is  unto  me  if  I  preach  not 
the  Gospel,' — and  I  thought  it  an  excellent  sermon.  In 
fact,  in  those  days,  all  the  sermons  were  regarded  as 
excellent  —  not  because  they  were  better  than  what  we 
now  have,  perhaps,  but  then  we  had  so  few  preachers, 
and  opportunities  for  hearing  the  Gospel  preached  in  its 
purity  were  so  rare,  that  to  hear  a  discourse,  even  from 
a  beginner,  was  indeed  a  feast.  Then,  we  gave  a  young 
preacher  credit  for  what  he  might  become  by  study  and 
perseverance  in  his  holy  calling,  as  well  as  for  the  native 
talent  he  possessed  —  instead  of  demanding,  as  too  many 
do  now,  the  wisdom  of  years  from  the  young  and  inex 
perienced. 


252  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

"  Well,  I  preach  now,  two  Sabbaths  in  each  month,  in 
that  same  old-fashioned  church,  on  that  beautiful  hillock, 
now  adorned  with  maple-trees.  The  pews,  you  know,  are 
square ;  so  that,  if  any  prefer  to  sit  back  to  the  speaker, 
they  can  do  so.  The  pulpit,  you  recollect,  is  eight 
square,  elevated  quite  as  much  above  the  people,  on  the 
lower  floor,  as  any  man  could  desire  to  be,  if  he  had 
any  thought  of  benefiting  them,  OK  of  enjoying  the 
blessings  of  social  life.  The  entrance  to  the  pulpit  is  so 
narrow  as  to  remind  one,  every  time  he  enters  it,  of  the 
'  strait  gate '  of  which  we  read ;  and,  to  put  the  finishing 
touch  to  the  whole,  there  is  the  beautiful  '  sounding- 
board,'  alias  '  canopy,'  suspended  from  the  ceiling  by  an 
ornamented  iron  rod,  at  the  end  of  which  is  the  repre 
sentation  of  a  hand  grasping  a  staple  attached  to  the 
1  hand,'  and  thus  holding  it  about  twelve  inches  above  the 
head  of  the  occupant  of  the  said  pulpit,  if  he  be  a  tall 
man.  This  ancient  invention  prevents  the  speaker's  words 
from  rising,  I  suppose,  before  the  people  can  get  a  clue 
to  their  meaning. 

******** 

"  I  have  preached  one  Sunday  in  Montpelier,  and 
attended  the  meeting  of  the  Central  Association,  at 
Barre.  Next  Sunday  I  am  to  preach  in  Danville,  the 
shire  town  of  Caledonia  county,  and  go  on  to  attend 
the  meeting  of  the  Northern  Association,  at  Burke.  I 
have  a  good  horse  ^>nd  carriage,  and  at  this  season  of  the 
year  one  can  hardly  be  unhappy  in  riding  through  this 
fertile  and  thriving  state;  which,  being  the  eldest 


MINISTRY   IN   STRAFFORD.  253 

daughter  of  the  '  Old  Thirteen,'  who  is  the  mother  of 
them  all,  is,  without  doubt,  quite  as  independent  in  pecu 
niary  matters,  and  as  liberal  in  her  civil  and  religious 
institutions,  as  any  of  her  sisters.  The  spirit  of  Seventy- 
six  was  breathed  into  her  when  she  became  a  living  state, 
and  she  evinces  the  strength  and  permanency  of  early 
impressions." 

From  a  letter  written  to  his  son  about  this  time,  we 
find  that  he  had  been  troubled  with  some  internal  bodily 
affection,  which -we  have  no  doubt  afterwards  became 
more  deeply  seated,  and  finally  terminated  his  life.  We 
subjoin  a  portion  of  the  letter  to  which-we  refer  : 

"We  are  in  good  health;  your  mother  is  highly 
pleased  with  the  atmosphere  of  the  hills.  I  think  she 
will  enjoy  life  very  well  this  summer ;  and  I  shall  do 
well  enough  anywhere;  though  she  thinks  I  breathe 

more  freely  here   than  when   at  Lynn.      Dr.   S 

thinks  my  disease  is  an  old  one ;  and  yet  the  '  faculty ' 
have  been  and  still  are  at  a  loss  as  to  the  cause  of  it. 
They  suppose  it  to  be  an  obstruction  in  the  circulation 
about  the  heart  and  lungs ;  and  when,  as  in  walking, 
especially  up  hill,  the  circulation  is  quickened,  the  pain 
is  produced ;  —  but  whether  by  a  nervous,  chronic,  or 
spasmodic  affection,  is  uncertain.  In  some  cases  of 
death,  a  post-mortem  examination  has  shown  no  signs  of 
disease  ;  in  which  instances  the  affection  was  spasmodic. 
I  am  quite  free  from  any  trouble  of  the  kind  now,  though 
I  have  walked  to  the  upper  village,  going  off1  half  a  mile 
up  hill,  to  see  the  sick." 
22 


254  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

Among  his  visits  made  about  this  time  to  the  sick,  we 
notice  one,  in  his  journal,  to  an  aged  friend  of  the  Free 
will  Baptist  church,  who  seemed  to  receive  much  satis 
faction  from  the  interview.  He  felt  that  he  was  near  his 
earthly  end.  He  remarked  to  Mr.  Moore:  "My  faith 
is  the  same  that  it  was  twenty  years  ago ;  but  I  find  that 
the  older  I  grow,  the  more  charitable  I  become."  He 
desired  that  Mr.  Moore  should  take  his  place  in  the 
pulpit  with  the  minister  who  was  to  preach  his  funeral 
sermon,  whether  he  was  invited  by  others  or  not ;  as  he 
wished  to  have  it  distinctly  understood  that  he  fellow- 
shiped  all  Christians,  irrespective  of  name. 

In  June  Mr.  Moore  preached  the  sermon  at  the  dedi 
cation  of  the  new  Union  meeting-house  in  Orange ;  and 
in  July  attended  the  Northern  Association,  in  Burke, 
Vt.  On  the  2d  of  October  he  preached  the  sermon  at 
the  installation  of  Rev.  J.  W.  Ford,  in  Springfield,  Vt. 

In  his  journal,  about  this  time,  he  mentions  an  inter 
view  with  a  family  upon  which  a  large  share  of  the 
afflictive  seems  to  have  fallen,  and  from  whose  adversities 
he  draws  one  of  the  right  conclusions.  Many  a  misan 
thropic  mood  has  been  broken  up  by  the  Christian  con 
templation  of  these  darker  scenes  in  the  lives  of  others, 
when  we  had  supposed  our  own  trials,  for  the  time  being, 
the  darkest  of  all.  "  Called  on  a  sick  woman.  She 
will  die  of  a  cancer.  Her  mother,  over  eighty,  lives  in 
the  same  house  with  two  sons,  one  deranged,  and  the 
other  drunk  half  of  the  time.  The  woman  has  a  poor, 
shiftless  husband.  A  daughter  of  fourteen  takes  care  of 


MINISTRY   IN  STRAFFORD.  255 

her  step-mother.  A  good  place  this  to  cure  the 
'blues.'" 

It  was  in  the  beginning  of  autumn  this  year  that  he 
had  a  brief  illness,  —  dysentery  and  fever,  —  one  of  the 
most  severe  he  had  ever  experienced.  He  writes  to  hia 
son  :  "  Yesterday  morning  the  weather  changed  to  a  fine 
autumn  atmosphere ;  very  favorable,  I  presume,  to  my 
complaint.  But  I  need  not  be  disappointed  if  it  takes 
me  all  the  autumn  to  regain  my  wonted  vigor.  My  flesh 
has  wasted  fast,  and  my  strength  is  but  weakness."  His 
physicians  and  friends  deemed  him  in  a  very  critical  con 
dition.  They  afterwards  believed  he  had  been  saved  from 
cholera,  and  probably  from  the  grave,  by  being  in  the 
country.  He  afterwards  wrote  to  a  friend :  "It  was  my 
first,  and  if  it  is  God's  will  I  am  satisfied  to  call  it  my 
last  sickness.  Still,  I  learned  much  by  the  affliction." 

Wherever  Mr.  Moore  had  his  home,  he  held  much 
epistolary  correspondence  with  those  who  were  members 
of  societies  of  which  he  had  been,  pastor.  Among  the 
letters  thus  written  by  him,  not  a  few  were  of  a  consol 
atory  nature,  called  forth  by  the  departure  of  some  dear 
friend  to  the  spirit-land.  Under  date  of  November  4th, 
of  this  autumn,  we  find  a  letter  addressed  to  a  young 
friend  whose  husband  had  suddenly  died,  away  from 
home :  , 

"  My  afflicted  Sister :  Last  evening  I  received  a 

note  from  Br.  V ,  giving  us  the  very  unexpected  and 

grievous  intelligence  of  the  death  of  your  dear  husband, 
and  our  much-loved  friend  and  brother.  Never  have  we 


256  MEMOIE  OP  JOHN  MOORE. 

been  more  distressed  by  any  similar  intelligence.  Fre 
quently,  of  late,  have  we  spoken  of  your  cheerfulness 
when  we  saw  you,  of  the  pleasantness  of  your  situation, 
of  your  preparation  to  receive  the  returning  husband,  the 
joyful  meeting  you  must  have, —  and  to  hear  the  sad 
news  of  his  death  !  —  It  was  like  having  the  cup  of  bliss, 
as  we  were  about  to  taste  it,  by  sympathy,  with  you, 
dashed  away  from  our  lips  !  The  thought  is  heart-rend 
ing  ;  and  were  it  not  for  the  great  conviction  that  God's 
providences  are  all  ordered  in  mercy,  that  He  knows  what 
is  best  for  us,  and  always  does  it,  we  should  sink  in  des 
pair.  To  Him,  who  '  seeth  the  end  from  the  beginning,' 
and  ordereth  all  things  '  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will,' 
may  we  be  enabled  to  look.  You  have  been  sustained 
under  a  similar  affliction ;  you  will  be  sustained  under 
this. 

"  I  seem  to  hear  you  say,  '  Could  he  but  have  lived  to 
return  and  receive  the  parting  blessing  of  his  nearest 
friends,  it  would  have  afforded  us  such  comfort ! '  True, 
indeed ;  but  Infinite  Wisdom  knew  best,  and  it  becometh  - 
us  to  bow  with  filial  reverence  and  holy  trust  to  the  will 
of  Him  who  '  doeth  all  things  well.'  Your  dear  husband, 
though  separated  from  us  by  death,  no  doubt  anticipated 
meeting  us  all  in  heaven.  He  doubtless  knew  how 
readily  you  all  would  have  flown  to  his  aid,  had  it  been 
in  your  power ;  and  that  thought  must  have  cheered  him 
in  his  decline.  He  also  unquestionably  found  divine 
support  in  his  holy  faith  as  the  time  of  his  departure  drew 
near.  Let  us,  then,  be  comforted  concerning  him." 


MINISTRY  IN   STRAFFOED.  257 

In  no  subject  will  the  truly  sensitive  and  faithful  min 
ister  of  the  Gospel  feel  a  deeper  interest  than  that  which 
concerns  the  religious  growth  of  his  people.  He  knows 
that  they  need  this  growth ;  that  a  mere  knowledge  of 
Christian  doctrine,  the  holding  of  religious  opinions,  will 
not  make  them  true  and  living  Christians,  practical  "  fol 
lowers  of  God  as  dear  children."  An  angel  may  indeed 
be  near  them ;  but  they  are  not  careful  to  give  him  enter 
tainment  according  to  the  apostolic  direction.*  The 
angel  remains  a  stranger.  Their  Christianity  is  chiefly 
theory;  their  Universalism,  the  persuasion  that  ultimately, 
in  the  future,  God  will  save  all  men.  This  is  their  ideal. 
What  Christianity  can  and  should  do  with  men  now,  is 
to  them  a  thought  which  causes  no  stirring  emotion,  no 
high  aim,  no  strife  for  a  true  and  noble  life  in  Christ 
Jesus.  This  is  poor  entertainment  indeed  for  this  angel 
of  the  New  Covenant ;  such  a  neglect  of  his  claims  as  will 
cause  the  want  and  leanness  of  those  who  thus  slight  him 
to  appear.  Perhaps  no  minister  of  the  true  Gospel  ever 
had  stronger  convictions  on  this  subject  than  he  of  whom 
we  now  write.  In  a  communication  to'  a  friend,  dated 
December  26th,  he  takes  occasion  to  speak  of  certain  in 
fluences  that  had  proved  a  hindrance  to  the  work  of  truth 
in  the  minds  of  some  of  the  people  within  the  field  of  his 
pastoral  and  missionary  labors,  and  to  express  his  views 
quite  plainly  in  respect  to  that  practical  enforcement  of 
the  word  so  needful  in  the  ministry,  that  he  who  minis- 

*  Heb.  13  :  2. 

22* 


258  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

ters  may  "  both  save  himself  and  them  that  hear  him." 
"  It  seems  that  in  some  instances  people  have  had  too 
much  of  mere  opposition  to  orthodoxy  in  its  various  forms, 
and  not  enough  of  inclination  to  be  spiritually  benefited 
by  religious  service.  Then,  if  particular  sins  are  con 
demned,  it  is  too  hard !  Then,  again,  if  the  preacher 
succeeds  in  beginning  to  make  any  favorable  impression 
in  his  pulpit  enforcements,  it  may  all  evaporate  before 
another  meeting  —  especially  where  the  intervals  are  two 
weeks  or  more.  Wesley  said,  when  speaking  in  favor  of 
frequent  stated  meetings,  that  in  a  certain  place  he  had 
commenced  quite  a  good  work  among  the  people  —  several 
were  converted ;  but  he  was  obliged  to  be  absent  two 
weeks,  'and  when  I  returned,'  said  he,  'where  do  you 
think  I  found  those  converts  ?  —  pitching  quoits  ! '  Pity 
that  was  not  the  worst  act  of  professors  of  religion  !  True, 
it  is  somewhat  hard  for  a  man  to  pay  for  having  his  faults 
pointed  out,  and  that  in  public.  But  there  is  no  other 
right  course  for  the  preacher  than  to  show  up  sin  and 
wrong  in  their  actual  deformity.  He  must  do  this,  if  he 
would  be  faithful." 

In  the  month  of  December  Mr.  Moore  visited  Boston 
and  vicinity,  and  preached  in  Dorchester,  Mass.,  two 
Sabbaths,  at  the  request  of  the  Home  Missionary  Society. 
His  reflections  at  the  close  of  the  year  are  thus  recorded : 
"  God  be  praised  for  his  mercy  to  us  during  all  the  past ! 
And  now  that  we  are,  '  if  the  Lord  will,'  to  enter  upon  a 
new  year  on  the  morrow,  may  the  same  mercy  be  con 
tinued,  according  to  the  Father's  will.  May  this  will  be 


MINISTRY   IN   STRAFFOKD.  259 

done  concerning  us,  and  all  the  families  of  the  earth. 
May  it  be  our  study  to  be  useful  in  our  calling,  exerting 
such  an  influence  as  shall  be  salutary  among  the  people. 
The  Lord  save  us  from  evil,  and  to  his  name  be  the  praise. 
Amen." 

A  new  work  on  the  Coming  of  Christ,  from  the  pen  of 
Professor  Crosby,  of  Dartmouth  College,  was  attracting 
some  attention  among  Universalists  and  others,  about  this 
time.  It  was  a  book  evincing  sound  scholarship,  and 
much  Christian  liberality  and  candor,  on  the  part  of  its 
author.  Mr.  Moore  thus  speaks  of  the  subject  discussed 
in  it,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend : 

"  By  the  way,  have  you  seen  Professor  Crosby's  book? 
If  so,  what  do  you  think  of  it?  My  opinion  is  that  in 
the  main  he  is  correct.  I  have  entertained  similar  views, 
especially  on  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  from  the  first 
year  of  my  ministry.  Some  years  ago3  brother  Warren 
Skinner  published  his  '  Essays '  on  that  subject,  taking 
the  same  ground  that  Mr.  Crosby  has  taken,  particularly 
on  the  second  coming.  The  professor  is  right  in  this, 
namely,  that  '  we  never  read  in  the  Bible  of  the  third 
coming,'  &c.  My  opinion  is,  that  the  coming  of  Christ 
in  his  kingdom  commenced  in  that  age  of  the  world,  or 
'end  of  the  age,'  and  is  to  continue  to  come  in  all  time, 
to  the  complete  accomplishment  of  the  purpose  of  God  in 
regard  to  the  salvation  of  the  world.  And  I  am  inclined 
to  the  belief  that  the  resurrection  is  all  a  spiritual  work ; 
that  those  who  are  believers  in  the  true  Gospel  are  now 
raised  by  faith,  or  quickened,  or  begotten  by  faith  to  hope 


260  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

in  that  immortal  state  brought  to  light  in  the  Gospel.  I 
am  not  clear  that  Christ  or  Paul  taught  what  some  call 
'  a  literal  resurrection.'  They  taught  the  great  fact  of 
the  future  blessedness  of  man.  and  the  resurrection  of 
Christ.  Paul  refers  to  this  resurrection  as  the  proof  and 
pledge  of  the  immortality.  I  most  fully  believe  that  all 
•who  die  in  Adam  will  be  made  alive  in  Christ.  Those 
who  now  believe  in  that  truth  are,  by  faith,  thus  made 
alive,  or  quickened,  while  the  unbeliever  is  dead.  But 
the  believer  has  not  attained  to  immortal  life  in  Christ. 
He  only  enjoys  the  hope  of  it.  The  blessing  in  its  ful 
ness  is  reserved  for  him  in  heaven.  Most  people  are  too 
gross  in  their  views  of  this  matter.  They  do  not  rise 
above  the  figures  employed  by  Scripture  writers,  to  the 
thing  signified ;  but  hold  on  to  the  figure  as  though  that 
were  the  reality,  somewhat  as  did  the  Jews." 

He  writes  again  upon  his  birth-day :  "I  am  fifty- 
three  years  of  age  ;  and  every  year  grows  shorter  !  Dur 
ing  the  past  summer  and  autumn  I  have  experienced  the 
first  severe  sickness  of  my  life.  But,  through  the  good 
ness  of  Him  in  whose  hand  our  breath  is,  and  whose  are 
all  our  ways,  I  was  restored  to  my  usual  health.  And 
for  what  have  I  been  spared  while  others  have  died  ? 
Doubtless  that  I  may  do  good  in  this  mortal  state.  It 
cannot  be  that  I  was  blessed  with  this  life,  or  that  it  is 
perpetuated,  solely  for  my  own  individual  good.  I  could 
not  enjoy  life  alone ;  therefore  I  ought  to  contribute  '  as 
much  as  in  me  is '  to  the  good  of  those  with  whom  the 
Creator  has  connected  me.  May  his  wisdom  guide,  his 


MINISTRY   IN  STRAFFOBD.  261 

power  and  love  sustain  me  in  my  future  course,  that  I 
may  finish  that  course  with  joy,  and  glorify  his  holy 
name." 

His  thoughts  in  reference  to  the  importance  of  Chris 
tian  doctrine,  in  connection  with  the  Christian  life,  are 
very  clearly  expressed  in  a  letter  to  his  son  : 

"  March  2, 1850. — I  see  you  are  following  the  fashion, 
in  giving  'a  series  of  discourses.'  Well,  do  not  be  wise 
above  what  is  written,  but  try  to  get  at  the  meaning  of 
the  Word.  You  know  I  have  always  regarded  it  of  very 
great  importance  that  the  human  mind  should  possess  the 
truth ;  or,  that  we  should  believe  the  truth,  as  the  means 
of  a  truly  Christian  life.  I  never  have  doubted  the  util 
ity  of  this  life ;  but  I  have  desired  to  have  people  under 
stand  the  reason  of  their  hope  —  the  basis  of  a  Christian 
life.  I  like  the  position  taken  by  Mr.  Gannett  on  this 
point.  The  Unitarians  begin  to  see  that  a  man  cannot 
stand  on  nothing ;  in  other  words,  they  perceive  the  neces 
sity  of  having  some  positive  doctrinal  basis.  There  is, 
or  is  not,  positive  truth.  To  learn  this  truth,  and  to  prac 
tise  it,  in  its  positiveness  and  simplicity,  and  to  enforce 
its  practical  influences  by  every  possible  means,  is  the 
great  duty  of  the  Christian  minister.  The  Unitarian 
idea  (now,  I  hope,  becoming  obsolete),  on  the  one  hand, 
'  No  matter  about  the  faith  if  the  life  is  right,'  and  that 
of  the  more  prominent  churches,  on  the  other,  '  No  matter 
about  the  life  if  the  faith  is  right,'  like  all  extremes,  have 
been  productive  of  evil;  the  latter  leading  to  persecution 
for  heresy,  and  the  former  opening  wide  the  door  of  seep- 


262  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOOKE. 

ticism.  The  medium  is  the  true  line.  Faith  is  the 
foundation  of  hope  and  of  good  works.  •  Without  faith 
it  is  impossible  to  please  God.'  There  are  doctrinal 
points  clearly  stated  in  the  New  Testament ;  such  as  the 
divine  paternity ;  human  unity  or  brotherhood ;  the  divine 
administration,  rewarding,  punishing,  &c. ;  the  object  of 
the  divine  government,  its  absoluteness,  and  human  free 
dom;  a  sinless  and  glorious  immortality.  These,  with 
their  ramifications,  compose  my  creed.  They  all  grow 
out  of  the  divine  paternity." 

His  Lebanon  friends  were  still'  soliciting  him  to  come 
and  be  their  minister  again.  He  promised  to  consult 
with  them  before  concluding  to  change  his  place.  He 
soon  afterwards  informed  them  of  an  invitation  received 
by  him  from  the  Universalist  society  in  Concord,  N.  H., 
to  become  the  pastor  there,  with  which  invitation  he  was 
induced  to  comply.  The  call  was  a  very  cordial  and 
earnest  one,  and  the  position  such  as  would  enable  him 
to  exert  a  wider  influence  for  the  truth  than  it  was  pos 
sible  for  him  to  do  in  his  present  station.  His  short 
ministry  in  Strafford  had  been  a  pleasant  one,  and  it  was 
with  deep  regret  that  the  friends  there  learned  his  pur 
pose  to  leave  them.  But  they  knew  he  had  consulted 
conscience  and  duty,  and  the  pastoral  connection  termi 
nated  in  mutual  feeling  as  kindly  as  it  had  begun. 

The  beginning  of  the  month  of  May  was  spent  in  prep 
aration  to  remove  to  Concord.  Before  commencing  his 
ministry  there,  he  visited  his  son  in  South  Reading, 
Mass.,  and  spent  "  anniversary  week  "  in  Boston.  He 


MINISTRY  IN   STRAFFORD.  263 

was  present  at  the  annual  Universalist  festival,  which  took 
place,  this  year,  on  Thursday,  May  31st,  in  Winthrop 
Hall,  on  Tremont  Row.  William  H.  Richardson,  Jr.,  of 
Maiden,  Mass.,  was  president  of  the  occasion.  Very 
timely  and  effective  addresses  were  made,  and  none  more 
so  than  a  short  one  from  Mr.  Moore.  We  regret  that 
this  meagre  outline  is  all  that  we  have  been  able  to  obtain 
of  it: 

"  Rev.  John  Moore,  of  Concord,  was  then  called  on  to 
respond  for  New  Hampshire.  He  said,  as  the  hour  was 
late,  and  many  of  the  friends  were  moving  from  the  hall, 
he  would  speak  but  a  few  minutes.  It  had  been  remarked 
by  one  brother  that  '  he  would  not  stand  here  to  glorify 
Universalism,'  but  he  was  willing  to  stand  here  and  let 
Universalism  glorify  him,  and  rejoiced  that  it  was  des 
tined  to  glorify  humanity.  He  thanked  God  that  in  our 
views  of  Christianity  we  find  all  the  incentives  to  duty, 
all  the  means,  and  all  the  directions  necessary  to  the  suc 
cessful  prosecution  of  every  true  reform.  He  remarked 
that  New  Hampshire  was  well  represented  here  by  her 
native  sons ;  four  of  whom  he  observed  sat  together,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  hall,  namely,  fathers  Ballou  and 
Streeter,  and  brothers  Adams  and  Miner.  After  paying 
them  a  well-deserved  compliment  for  their  steadfastness 
in  the  faith,  their  wisdom,  prudence,  zeal,  and  indomita 
ble  perseverance,  he  referred  our  younger  preachers  to  them 
as  examples  worthy  of  all  imitation ;  and  concluded  by  a 
brief  reference  to  the  character  of  the  men  of  New  Hamp 
shire  as  evinced  in  their  movements  in  the  war  of  the 


264  MEMOIR  OP  JOHN  MOORE. 

Revolution ;  and,  if  we  will  use  the  sword  of  the  spirit, 
the  word  of  God,  in  the  cause  of  Christian  truth  and  hu 
man  happiness,  as  effectively  as  they  did  the  sword  of 
steel  in  the  cause  of  political  truth  and  civil  liberty,  and 
have  an  eye  as  single  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  follow  as 
fearlessly  the  Captain  of  our  salvation,  as  they  did  to  the 
glory  of  civil  redemption,  and  as  they  followed  their 
leaders  in  that  mighty  struggle  on  which  rested  the  smile 
of  God's  approbation,  we  may  be  assured  of  abundant 
success." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD. 

WE  have  already  spoken  of  the  importance  of  Concord 
as  a  ministerial  station.  It  is  the  capital  of  the  state,  and 
most  conveniently  so  from  its  central  location.  An  active 
and  faithful  minister  of  Universalism  in  this  place  is  sit 
uated  so  as  to  do  much  out  of  the  limits  of  his  society  for 
the  promotion  of  his  faith.  He  is  enabled  to  speak  to 
many  strangers  from  all  parts  of  the  state  who  are  called 
hither  during  the  year ;  and  to  go  out  as  a  missionary 
into  the  surrounding  country.  Mr.  Moore  was  well 
qualified  for  this  station,  and  he  honored  it  in  his  dili 
gence  and  zeal.  Welcomed  by  his  own  people,  he  soon 
gained  the  attention  and  respect  of  others.  Among  the 
members  of  the  clerical  profession  in  the  place,  no  one, 
perhaps,  was  more  highly  esteemed  than  he.  It  was  a 
special  pleasure  to  him  to  commence  his  residence  in  Con 
cord  in  the  family  of  one  of  his  much-loved  Lebanon 
friends,  Mr.  J.  P.  Fay.  He  subsequently  purchased 
and  occupied  a  dwelling-house  on  Green-street. 
23 


266  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

TJniversalism  had  been  preached  in  Concord,  from  time 
to  time,  for  many  years.  Frequently,  during  the  session 
of  the  legislature,  some  of  its  members  would  secure  the 
services  of  Mr.  Ballou.  of  Boston,  for  a  Sabbath,  in  this 
place ;  and,  occasionally,  other  preachers  would  visit  it. 
In  1884  a  society  was  formed  here,  and  public  religious 
services  on  each  alternate  Sabbath  were  sustained.  A 
weekly  religious  journal,  entitled  The  Star  in  the  East 
and  New  Hampshire  Universalist,  was  issued  here  by 
Messrs.  Adams  and  Kimball,  and  edited  by  the  writer  of 
this  memoir,  who  also  officiated  as  minister  of  the  society 
a  part  of  the  time,  until  the  autumn  of  1836.  The  min 
isters  after  this  were,  Rev.  E.  Dow,  in  1842 ;  Rev.  J.  F. 
Witherell,  from  February,  1843,  to  July  of  the  same 
year;  Rev.  TV.  H.  Ryder,  from  September,  1843,  to 
September,  1845.  Afterwards  Rev.  T.  Barren  was  the 
minister  during  four  years.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr. 
Moore.  A  meeting-house  was  erected  in  1842  on  the 
corner  of  School  and  State  streets,  where  the  new  house 
now  stands.  The  one  first  built  not  being  sufficiently 
large,  it  was  sold  to  a  Baptist  society,  and  removed  to 
another  part  of  the  city.  The  TJniversalist  society  was 
reorganized  on  its  present  basis  in  1842.  Mr.  Moore 
commenced  his  public  ministry  on  the  first  Sabbath  in 
June,  1850. 

On  the  19th  of  the  same  month  he  attended  the  New 
Hampshire  Convention  of  Universalists,  at  Nashua,  and 
was  chosen  moderator  of  that  body.  During  the  session 
of  the  council,  intelligence  was  received  of  the  sudden 


MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD.  267 

death  of  the  wife  of  Rev.  C.  H.  Fay,  of  New  York  city. 
She  suddenly  disappeared  from  her  husband  and  friends, 
during  a  passage  in  a  steamer  through  Long  Island  Sound. 
It  was  supposed  that  in  excessive  mental  depression  she 
had  thrown  herself  into  the  water,  where  she  was  after 
wards  found.  This  account  was  received  in  sadness  by 
the  members  of  the  council,  to  most  of  whom  the  bereaved 
husband  and  his  companion  were  known.  A  resolution 
was  passed  in  the  convention  directing  Mr.  Moore  to  for 
ward,  in  the  name  of  its  members,  a  letter  of  condolence 
to  the  afflicted  brother ;  with  which  request  he  complied. 
The  letter  is  before  us  as  we  write ;  and  is  a  generous 
outpouring  of  warm  and  soothing  sympathy  into  a  be 
reaved  and  sorrow- stricken  heart. 

In  October  Mr.  Moore  attended  the  Merrimack  River 
Association,  at  Warner,  N.  H.,  and  preached  twice  dur 
ing  the  meeting.  He  also  delivered  a  highly  acceptable 
address  on  temperance  in  the  Unitarian  church  in  Con 
cord.  In  November  he  was  called  to  Strafford  to  attend 
the  funeral  of  Mrs.  Harris,  wife  of  Hon.  Jedediah  Harris, 
of  that  place.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Joab  Young, 
the  former  Universalist  minister  in  Strafford,  and  was 
one  of  the  worthiest  and  most  liberal  supporters  of  the 
religion  she  professed.  Her  companion,  equally  devoted 
with  her  to  the  Christian  cause,  has  since  followed  her. 
Their  house  was  always  one  of  the  "minister's  homes" 
of  that  region. 

The  first  Sabbath  in  December  was  the  anniversary 
of  his  entrance  into  the  ministry.  He  had  been  a 


268  MEMOIB   OF  JOHN   MOOEE. 

preacher  of  the  Gospel  twenty-five  years.  He  took  for 
the  morning  service  this  day  his  first  text,  Matt.  10  :  7, — 
"  As  ye  go,  preach,  saying,  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at 
hand."  In  his  discourse  he  compared  the  past  with  the 
present  prospects  of  the  cause  nearest  his  heart ;  dwelt 
somewhat  upon  the  three  elements  of  the  Christian  king 
dom, —  righteousness,  peace,  and  joy;  the  great  object 
in  enforcing  its  principles ;  the  character  and  aims  of  its 
subjects ;  and  assured  his  hearers,  in  conclusion,  that  he 
saw  the  same  reasons  for  ministerial  zeal  and  devotion 
now  as  when  he  first  went  forth  with  the  message  of  truth 
and  grace  to  his  fellow-men. 

Under  date  December  20th,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  he 
says  of  his  ministerial  life  in  Concord:  "We  are  pros 
pering  in  society  affairs,  I  believe.  Our  meetings  are 
full,  though  the  house  is  small  for  us.  Last  Sunday  I 
exchanged  with  the  chaplain  of  our  state-prison,  Rev.  Mr. 
Smith  (Methodist).  Our  people  liked  him  much,  and  I 
believe  his  people  liked  me.  I  have  exchanged  twice 
with  Rev.  Mr.  Woodbury  (Unitarian),  and  have  proposed 
an  exchange  with  Rev.  Mr.  Hewes,  of  the  Methodist 
church.  We  are  to  have  a  peace  meeting  at  our  church 
on-  Wednesday  evening  next;  services  to  consist  of 
prayers,  addresses,  and  singing."  On  the  27th  of  this 
month  he  delivered  an  address  at  a  Masonic  celebration  in 
Newport,  N.  H. 

On  the  evening  of  New  Year's  day  (1851)  the  society 
in  full  numbers  made  a  visit  to  the  pastor  in  his  own 
home,  where  they  found  a  warm  welcome.  The  tables 


MINISTRY  IN   CONCORD.  269 

were  bountifully  and  tastefully  spread,  and  the  social  in 
terviews  very  fully  and  freely  enjoyed.  The  next  day 
the  members  of  the  Sabbath-school  had  a  similar  gather 
ing  and  welcome  at  the  same  place. 

His  reflections  on  his  birth-day  this  year  bear  evidence 
of  a  peculiar  seriousness :  "  I  am  now  fifty-four;  and  I 
here  again  make  record  of  that  divine  goodness  which  has 
followed  me  all  my  days.  How  great  is  the  debt  of  love 
and  gratitude  which  I  owe  to  God  !  And  the  more  I  am 
thankful,  the  more  do  I  have  to  be  thankful  for ;  so  that 
the  debt  is  every  day  increasing.  Now,  what  shall  befall 
me  in  the  year  to  come,  or  whether  indeed  I  shall  live 
another  year,  is  known  only  to  my  Father  in  heaven. 
Nor  will  I  be  anxious  about  the  future.  My  anxiety 
shall  be  to  do  my  duty  faithfully  while  I  live  on  earth, 
trusting  in  God  for  all  I  may  need,  in  the  firm  convic 
tion  that  '  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  will  do  right.' ' 

In  a  letter  to  a  friend  in  Hartford,  about  this  time,  he 
says  of  certain  "manifestations,"  of  which  Mr.  A.  J. 
Davis  (then  in  Hartford)  was  the  chief  expositor :  "  There 
is,  indeed,  something  inexplicable  just  now  in  his^ doings, 
and  in  the  doings  of  others  like  him.  But,  as  you  very 
justly  remark,  old  views  and  practices  and  speculations 
are  now  and  then  revived  —  come  up  in  new  forms ;  and 
many  people  think  they  were  never  known  before.  How 
often,  since  the  Christian  era,  has  Millerism,  in  its  various 
phases,  been  presented  to  the  eager  multitude  of  credu 
lous  persons,  and  always  supposed  to  be  new.  Last  Sun 
day  I  preached  from  the  words,  '  The  prophet  that  hath  a 
23* 


270  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

dream,  let  him  tell  a  dream,  but  he  that  hath  my  word 
let  him  speak  my  word  faithfully ;  what  is  the  chaff  to 
the  wheat,  saith  the  Lord.'  There  is  a  great  deal  of 
chaff  in  our  world.  Perhaps  this  makes  the  wheat  ap 
pear  more  precious."  In  the  same  letter  he  indulges  in 
a  very  generous  and  pleasing  strain  in  reference  to  the 
diversities  of  gifts  in  the  ministry.  ' '  There  must  be  a 
variety  in  the  ministry.  We  should  not  condemn  each 
other  because  we  are  not  all  made  alike,  nor  speak 
slightly  of  those  who  are  differently  constituted  from 
us ;  most  of  all  should  we  not  throw  a  single  impedi 
ment  in  the  way  of  those  who  seem  to  be  in  advance  of 
us  ;  but  rather  rejoice  that  Christ  is  preached  acceptably 
and  profitably  to  the  people,  even  if  not  in  our  peculiar 
style.  I  love  to  think  of  the  apostle's  words  :  '  Whether 
Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Cephas,  or  the  world,  or  life,  or 
death,  or  things  present,  or  things  to  come;  all  are 
yours  ;  and  ye  are  Christ's ;  and  Christ  is  God's.' ': 

During  a  part  of  "anniversary- week,"  in  May,  we 
find  him  in  Boston,  attending  the  meetings  there,  and 
again  making  glad  by  his  voice  the  hearts  of  his  brethren 
at  the  annual  "Festival,"  which  was  held  this  year  in 
Washington  Hall,  Milk-street.  Hon.  Israel  Washburn, 
Jr.,  a  newly-elected  member  of  Congress  from  Maine, 
presided ;  who,  after  an  opening  speech  which  stirred  all 
hearts  present,  gave  the  following  sentiment  in  honor  of 
the  next  state,  geographically  speaking,  to  his  own. 

"New  Hampshire:  Pure  as  the  winds  that  sweep 
her  towering  hills,  and  stir  the  surface  of  her  silver 


MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD.  271 

lakes  and  streams,  be  the  breathings  of  that  truth  through 
all  her  borders  which  shall  make  healthful  and  free  the 
hearts  of  her  children  in  the  cause  of  Christian  Reform." 

"  The  chairman  remarked  that,  though  the  rocks  of 
New  Hampshire  are  bleak  and  barren,  her  Moors  are 
bland  and  genial. 

"Rev.  John  Moore,  of  Concord,  N.  H.,  responded.  He 
said  it  was  usual,  in  numbering  the  states,  to  commence 
•with  Maine  and  go  down,  and  it  was  known  that  light 
came  from  the  East ;  and  we  rejoice  that  she  has  given 
to  Congress  a  man  [Mr.  Washburn]  who,  we  have  seen 
here  to-day,  will  not  hide  his  light  under  a  bushel.  For 
the  allusion  to  my  own  state,  I  will  say,  I  hope  the  pure 
atmosphere  spoken  of  in  the  sentiment  may  be  but  the 
emblem  of  that  Gospel  grace  that  is  awakening  there  to 
shed  its  purifying  influence  over  us,  and  that  it  may 
extend  and  widen  until  it  shall  embrace  the  whole  Union. 

"The  moors  of  New'Hampshire  —  the  natural  moors, 
I  mean  —  are  fertile.  Those  who  have  settled  there  are 
what  they  are,  and  are  doing  what  they  can  for  the  ben 
efit  of  their  race.  The  preachers  of  New  Hampshire 
have  spread  themselves  over  the  Union,  and  it  is  to  be 
hoped  they  will  not  prove  any  worse  than  the  political 
lights  that  have  done  the  same.  The  speaker  spoke  of 
the  blessings  of  this  reunion,  and  hoped  that  many  such 
might  be  enjoyed." 

This,  again,  is  but  an  apology  for  a  report  of  the 
speech  ;  but  it  is  all  of  it  we  have  been  able  to  call  up 
from  the  past.  The  speech  itself  was  one  of  the  happiest 


272  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

efforts  of  the  speaker,  and  was  remembered  with  pleas 
ure,  and  spoken  of  in  highest  terms  of  approval  by  the 
company  to  whom  it  was  addressed. 

The  N.  H.  State  Convention  was  held  this  year  in 
Enfield,  in  June.  Mr.  Moore  was  moderator  of  the 
meeting,  and  preached  the  occasional  sermon.  In  Au 
gust  he  visited  Strafford,  Vt.  and  vicinity,  and  preached 
one  Sabbath  in  Bath,  N.  H.  He  .received  a  very  urgent 
request  to  attend  the  State  Convention  in  Hartford,  Ct, 
but  declined  on  the  ground  of  duty,  believing  that  his 
presence  would  be  more  needed  at  the  Grafton  Associa 
tion,  in  "VVarren,  N  H. ;  which  last-named  meeting  he 
accordingly  attended.  In  the  month  of  September  he 
visited  Strafford  again,  and  here  met  all  his  brothers  and 
their  sister  —  a  meeting  such  as  they  had  not  for  many 
years  enjoyed.  He  had  the  pleasure  of  preaching  to  this 
family  band  on  the  next  Sabbath  after  their  assembling, 
in  their  native  town.  This  morfth  he  attended,  also,  the 
United  States  Convention,  held  in  Boston,  one  of  the 
largest  denominational  gatherings  that  had  ever  taken 
place.  Some  time  in  December,  he  delivered  the  first  of 
the  "Rumford  Lectures,"  in  Concord. 

Our  pastor  had  not  only  a  strong  attachment  to  home 
and  home  scenes,  but  was  quite  domestic  in  his  habits. 
He  was  usually  in  readiness  for  anything  like  house-job 
bing,  furniture-repairing,  making  alterations,  or  "put 
ting  things  to  rights."  After  a  day's  work  of  this  kind, 
he  writes  :  "  This  business  I  like.  I  have  the  taste,  or, 
phrenologically,  the  bumps  for  it."  He  was  an  aid  at 


MINISTRY  IN   CONCOED.  273 

home  in  every  sense,  and  never  a  hindrance.  Although 
the  indulgence  of  this  propensity  on  his  part  was  some 
times  judged  by  others,  more  fastidious  than  himself,  to  be 
a  little  derogatory  to  ministerial  dignity,  we  are  inclined 
to  believe  that  such  judgment  never  gave  him  any  unea 
siness.  A  friend,  in  a  strain  of  pleasantry,  says :  "  Some 
people,  in  one  of  the  societies  where  he  was  settled,  were 
unpleasantly  affected  by  the  fact  of  his  assisting  in 
hanging  out  and  taking  in  clothes  on  washing-days ! 
Well,  that  certainly  is  an  amiable  trait  of  character  in 
a  minister,  not  to  make  a  'blue  Monday,'  but,  when  the 
'  blue '  is  all  in  the  clothes,  to  lessen  the  horrors  of 
washing-day  by  taking  to  the  lines.  He  surely  gave  '  line 
on  line '  of  practical  demonstration  that  he  was  useful  at 
home,  and  at  least  a  yard  of  illustrations  of  his  hu 
mility."  He  writes  in  his  diary,  under  date  of  Decem 
ber  27th,  of  this  year:  "  To-day  I  am  nurse,  cook,  er 
rand-boy,  wood-sawyer,  husband,  minister,  etc.  etc." 
And  he  was  "at  home"  in  all  these  capacities.  We 
scarcely  need  add  that  his  home  was  one  of  the  happiest, 
always.  He  was  blest  with  a  companion  eminently 
qualified  to  be  a  helpmeet  to  him,  and  to  whose  pru 
dence,  economy,  and  faithfulness,  he  attributed  much  of 
the  enjoyment  and  success  of  his  life. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  he  writes :  "  The  good  and 
the  evil  of  1851  are  finished,  although  not  the  results  of 
them.  May  a  merciful  God  accept  the  right  and  forgive 
the  wrong  in  me !  The  past  has  been  one  of  our  happiest 
years,  for  which  let  us  be  devoutly  thankful  to  God. 


274  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

May  a  rigid  self-examination  enable  me  to  see  my  errors 
and  reform  them ;  to  perceive  the  right  and  pursue  it. 
Into  thy  hands,  heavenly  Father,  would  we  renewedly 
resign  our  all  for  time  and  eternity." 

The  new  year  opened  to  him  propitiously.  On  the 
15th  of  January  he  attended  the  dedication  of  the  new 
Union  meeting-house  in  West  Fairlee,  Vt.  There  was 
a  great  gathering  of  people  on  the  occasion.  Two  ser 
mons  were  delivered ;  one  by  Rev.  D.  Smith  (Freewill 
Baptist),  and  the  other  by  Mr.  Moore,  both  during  one 
service.  The  prayer  of  dedication  was  offered  by  Rev. 
Eli  Ballou  (Universalist).  On  the  23d  he  attended  the 
Common  School  County  Convention,  at  Chichester,  and 
took  an  active  part  in  the  meeting. 

"  In  looking  over  the  past,"  he  writes  on  his  birth-day, 
li  I  am  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  God's  mercy  in  the 
preservation  of  my  life,  my  health,  my  reason ;  in  the 
rich  manifestations  of  his  grace  and  truth  ;  in  preserving 
me  from  great  sins ;  forgiving  those  I  have  committed ; 
granting  me  favor  with  the  people ;  supplying  my  temporal 
wants  ;  giving  me  the  blessed  hope  of  the  Gospel.  May 
the  sense  of  filial  gratitude  which  now  fills  my  whole 
soul  be  accepted  of  Him  who  is  the  Giver  of  all  good. 
If  this  shall  be  my  last  year  of  earthly  labor,  may  I  be 
faithful !  "  On  the  24th  of  this  month  (February)  he 
attended  a  mass  temperance  convention  at  Meredith 
Bridge,  and  spoke  an  hour. 

Rev.  H.  B.  Soule  was  Mr.  Moore's  successor  in  Hart 
ford,  Ct.  At  the  close  of  a  brief  ministry  in  that  place, 


MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD.  275 

he  removed  to  Granby.  On  his  way  to  Lyons,  N.  Y.,  he 
was  taken  ill,  and  died  in  the  last-named  place.  He  left 
a  large  family.  Mr.  Moore  was  deeply  affected  by  this 
event.  He  writes*,  in  one  of  his  letters  to  a  friend  in 

Hartford  :  "How  did  you  find  Mrs.  S and  her  little 

ones  ?  I  have  thought  and  still  think  very  much  of  her 
great  affliction.  But  I  am  comforted  by  the  fact  that 
she  is  so  well  provided  for.  What  a  noble  act  is  that  of 
the  society  in  Granby,  and  in  Boston,  but  especially  that 
in  Granby,  as  the  members  of  it  must  have  made  a 
greater  sacrifice  than  those  in  Boston,  because  of  the 
difference  in  numbers  and  wealth.  I  do  think  that  act 
of  our  Granby  friends,  all  things  considered,  one  of  the 
noblest  of  truly  Christian  benevolence  on  record.  God 
bless  them  in  their  work  of  love !  "  In  another  epistle 
to  a  ministering  brother,  who  had  sent  him  a  printed  copy 
of  a  funeral  sermon,  he  writes :  "I  thank  you  much  for 
that  sermon.  I  like  its  doctrine,  its  spirit,  its  gospelness, 
if  I  may  coin  a  word.  How  much  gloom  and  misery 
might  the  world  be  saved  from,  if  the  people  could 
receive  such  views  of  death  and  the  future  !  As  it  is, 
with  many,  this  life  is  robbed  of  more  than  half  its  pleas 
ures  through  fear  of  death,  which,  as  you  justly  observe, 
is  one  of  the  arrangements  of  Providence,  and  therefore 
should  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  links  of  that  great  chain 
of  events  which  is  to  draw  all  mankind  up  to  God  and  to 
glory.  I  try  to  make  my  friends  see  and  feel  this  while 
in  health  and  prosperity." 

The  New  Hampshire  State  Convention  met  in  June 


276  MEMOIR   OP  JOHN  MOORE. 

this  year  at  Claremont.  Mr.  Moore  attended  it,  and  on 
his  way  delivered,  by  request,  a  lecture  on  temperance 
at  Newport.  He  preached  the  first  discourse  at  the  con 
vention.  On  the  17th  of  the  same  month  he  was  present 
at  a  dedication  in  Springfield,  N.  H.,  of  which  he  gives 
the  following  account  in  a  letter  to  the  editor  of  the 
Trumpet : 

"BR.  WHITTEMORE:  Permit  me  to  give  a  short  ac 
count  of  a  visit  to  Springfield,  N.  H.,  on  the  17th  inst. 
I  had  been  invited  to  attend  a  Union  dedication,  or  the 
dedication  of  a  Union  meeting-house  in  this  place,  which 
proved  to  be  a  Union  dedication,  so  far  as  I  could  judge 
by  the  spirit  there  manifested.  The  meeting  occurred  on 
the  last  day  of  our  convention  at  Claremont,  which  would 
not  have  been  the  case,  if  our  friends  in  Springfield 
had  known  sooner  of  the  meeting  of  the  convention. 

"It  was  with  great  reluctance  that  I  left  the  conven 
tion  on  Wednesday,  at  six  p.  M.,  for  I  perceived,  or 
thought  I  did,  that  the  session  would  be  a  joyous  and 
profitable  one ;  but  I  had  the  consolation  of  leaving  it  in 
good  hands,  and  of  acting  from  a  sense  of  duty.  I 
arrived  at  Springfield,  after  spending  the  night  at  New 
port,  with  my  old  and  excellent  friends,  brother  E.  Wy- 
man  and  family,  just  in  season  for  the  morning  services, 
which  were  performed  by  five  different  clergymen,  and  a 
very  large  and  well-disciplined  choir,  under  the  charge 
of  Mr.  Hodgdon,  of  this  town,  which  added  much  to  the 
devotion  of  the  occasion.  The  morning  sermon  was  given 
by  Rev.  Professor  D.  Noyes,  of  Dartmouth  College.  It 


MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD.  277 

was  listened  to  with  perfect  attention,  notwithstanding 
the  crowd.  The  object  of  the  sermon  was  to  answer  the 
objection  brought  by  some  against  Christianity,  namely, 
its  cost.  This  he  did  most  effectually,  by  showing  the 
difference  between  '  the  cost  of  supporting  the  kingdom 
of  Christ  and  the  kingdom  of  Satan.'  And  by  the 
abundance  of  statistical  information  which  he  presented, 
he  must  have  convinced  all  present  that,  in  every  sense 
of  the  word,  it  is  vastly  more  economical  to  serve  Christ 
than  it  is  to  serve  Satan ;  and  in  regard  to  morality,  re 
ligion,  civilization,  and  human  progress,  the  difference 
cannot  be  computed.  My  discourse  in  the  afternoon  was 
designed  to  show  the  importance  and  utility  of  public 
Christian  worship;  which  followed  that  given  in  the 
morning  quite  appropriately,  and  was  listened  to  with 
perfect  attention  and  great  patience. 

"That  day,  to  Springfield,  was  a  season  of  refreshing 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  in  more  senses  than  one. 
The  people  seemed  to  be  of  one  heart  and  one  mind ;  and 
just  after  the  commencement  of  the  afternoon  services, 
the  earth  began  to  drink  in  the  most  delightfully  refresh 
ing  rain  that  you  can  imagine ;  which  put  a  new  and 
smiling  face  upon  that  '  hill  country,'  and  which  was  re 
flected  by  the  smiling  faces  of  the  worshippers." 

On  the  5th  of  July  Mr.  Moore  delivered  a  temperance 
address  in  Norwich,  Vt.  In  his  diary  about  this  time 
he  speaks  thus  of  the  biography  of  Rev.  Stephen  R. 
Smith,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Sawyer,  which  he  had  just  been 
reading :  "1  have  never  read  the  life  of  any  man  that  so 
24 


278  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

captivated  me.  I  have  never  seen  so  much  of  the  son, 
and  brother,  and  husband,  and  father,  and  man,  and  min 
ister,  and  friend,  and  Christian,  in  one  person,  as  I  per 
ceive  in  that  noble  specimen  of  humanity.  Few  men 
have  lived  who  evinced  such  a  rare  combination  of  all 
that  goes  to  make  up  the  perfect  man.  May  this  excel 
lent  book  be  profitably  read  by  thousands."  He  also 
writes  in  reference  to  his  own  increasing  love  of  his  pro 
fession  :  "  May  the  blessing  of  God  follow  my  exertions 
here.  If  I  cannot  do  good  to  this  people,  may  circum 
stances  transpire  which  shall  remove  me  to  another  field 
of  labor.  Never,  in  the  whole  course  of  my  ministry,  of 
more  than  twenty-six  years,  have  I  felt  a  stronger  desire 
to  do  something  for  the  good  of  mankind.  May  God 
kindly  direct  me,  and  glorify  himself  in  my  work !  " 

In  a  communication  to  the  Trumpet,  date  August 
7th,  he  writes  of  a  visit  to  Bristol.  N.  H.,  as  follows  : 

"  On  the  last  Sunday  in  July  my  friends  in  Concord 
allowed  me  leave  of  absence,  and  by  invitation  I  visited 
Bristol,  for  the  purpose  of  preaching  there  '  the  glorious 
Gospel  of  the  blessed  God.'  The  day  was  very  pleasant, 
the  atmosphere  delightfully  clear  and  cool ;  and  at  the 
usual  hour  for  the  morning  service  I  repaired  to  the  new 
town-house,  which  answers  every  purpose  of  a  church ; 
where  I  met  a  goodly  number  of  friends  from  that  and 
the  adjoining  towns ;  among  whom  was  a  good  choir, 
whose  services  added  much  to  our  devotional  feelings, 
preparing  us  to  worship  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  both 
morning  and  afternoon.  At  five  o'clock  p.  M.  I  gave  a 


MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD.  279 

lecture  on  temperance,  in  the  same  place,  to  a  very  full 
and  attentive  audience  ;  the  several  clergymen  of  the  vil 
lage  being  present,  two  of  whom  assisted  in  the  devotional 
services. 

"  Seldom  have  I  enjoyed  a  Sabbath's  labors  more  high 
ly  ;  my  mind  was  carried  back  to  the  days  of  my  early  min 
istry,  when  I  occasionally  preached  in  different  parts  of 
that  (Graf ton)  county,  when  the  believers  in  the  com 
mon  salvation  used  to  ride  some  twenty  miles  to  hear  the 
word ;  and  when  the  time  of  the  minister  was  almost 
wholly  occupied,  from  morning  till  late  in  the  evening,. in 
conversation  on  the  things  of  the  kingdom ;  and  I  almost 
desired  to  live  those  happy  days  over  again.  There  are 
more  or  less  Universalists  in  all  the  towns  in  this  state  ; 
but  in  many  of  them  they  are  like  sheep  without  a  shep 
herd,  and  are  scattered. 

"  Bristol  is  a  most  romantic  village,  at  the  terminus  of 
a  branch  of  the  Northern  Railroad,  thirty  miles  north  of 
Concord,  surrounded  by  Bridgewater,  Hebron,  Alexan 
dria,  New  Hampton,  and  Hill.  In  most  or  all  of  these 
towns  there  are  leading  men  who  favor  our  sentiments, 
and  not  a  few  who  are,  and  have  long  been,  firm  believ 
ers  in  the  great  salvation ;  but,  like  many  others  in  this 
state,  are  so  scattered,  as  to  render  it  inconvenient  to  come 
together,  and  they  have  meetings  of  their  own  liking  but 
seldom. 

"I  perceive  that  the  Grafton  Association  is  to  meet, 
September  1st  and  2d,  at  Thornton,  in  Grafton  county,  a 
short  distance  from  Plymouth,  and  on  the  direct  route  to 


280  MEMOIK   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

the  White  Mountains ;  and  in  behalf  of  our  people  there 
I  would  invite  any  and  all  of  our  friends  who  may  be 
journeying  in  that  section  to  attend  that  meeting.  Our 
brethren  in  Thornton  will  be  most  happy  in  entertaining 
all  who  may  visit  them.  Let  us  go  up  and  assist  them 
on  that  anniversary  occasion.  We  may  not  only  serve 
our  friends  there,  but  receive  great  good." 

In  August  he  was  called  to  Hartford,  Ct.,  to  attend 
the  funeral  of  Mrs.  Maria  T.  Skinner,  wife  of  Rev. 
Joseph  0.  Skinner.  Mrs.  Skinner  had  been  a  member 
of  the  Sabbath-school,  at  Hartford ;  had  been  baptized 
and  received  into  the  church  there  while  Mr.  Moore  was 
pastor ;  and  the  marriage  had  been  solemnized  by  him  in 
that  city  some  years  before.  The  faithful  minister  thus 
expresses  himself,  some  time  afterwards,  in  a  letter  to  the 
bereaved  husband,  to  whom,  in  earlier  days,  he  had 
preached  the  first  Universalist  sermon  which  that  hus 
band  heard : 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  Yours  of  the  18th  inst.  came 
to  hand  this  morning.  I  had  not  heard  from  you,  except 
that  you  returned  to  Vermont,  since  I  left  you  so  sud 
denly  in  Hartford.  I  came  home  safely,  and  found  my 
family  in  usual  health.  You  speak  of  your  loneliness, 
which  is  as  we  should  expect.  Mrs.  Moore  this  moment 
remarked  that  you  must  feel  lost  without  Maria,  as  she 
was  so  much  company  for  you.  But  you  can  bring  back, 
by  the  mysterious  power  of  memory,  those  happy  hours 
you  have  passed  together,  and  live  them  over  again,  in 
spirit ;  which  will  beguile  the  tediousness  of  the  present, 


MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD.  281 

and  which  will  serve  to  make  you  more  spiritually  minded. 
This  you  unquestionably  do.  I  am  glad  to  perceive  in 
the  tone  of  your  letter  that  calm  resignation  to  the  will 
of  God,  which  naught  save  faith  in  his  boundless  good 
ness  can  give.  ****** 

"  The  providence  which  has,  as  in  a  moment,  blasted  all 
your  earthly  hopes,  is  dark  and  trying.  But  that  it  is 
merciful,  as  well  as  just,  I  have  not  a  doubt.  Yes, 
brother  Skinner,  that  event  was  ordered  in  mercy,  both 
to  you  and  the  dear  departed  ones.  Never  doubt  it. 
You  do  not.  The  smile  of  joy  shall  yet  fill  the  eyes  that 
have  so  often  wept  tears  of  sorrow.  What  is  before  us 
we  know  not,  nor  should  we  be  anxious  to  know.  Let 
us  strive  to  make  the  most  of  the  present,  by  '  working 
while  it  is  day,'  that  we  may  not  only  enjoy  the  present 
approbation  of  God,  but  have  the  holy  satisfaction  of  re 
flecting  that  we  have  not  lived  in  vain.  To  do  good  in 
the  world  should  be  our  great  object.  The  older  I  grow, 
the  more  do  I  think  of  this  great  duty  —  DO  GOOD.  I 
never  possessed  so  great  a  desire  to  do  some  good  in  the 
world  as  now.  May  heavenly  wisdom  guide  us  ! 

"My  sympathy?  Yes,  you  have  it,  and  that  of  my 
companion  too.  When  you  sent  for  me,  though  I  was 
absent,  neither  she  nor  my  son  thought  of  anything  else 
but  that  I  must  go ;  and  when  I  returned,  and  it  was  un 
certain  whether  I  could  get  there  in  season,  they  both 
said,  'Go.'  Brother  Skinner,  I  sometimes  wonder  why 
it  is  that  my  friends  think  so  much  of  me  and  my  poor 
services.  But  so  it  is.  Still,  I  am  not  conscious  of 
24* 


282  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

doing  anything  more  than  they  have  a  right  to  expect, 
and  sometimes  feel  that  my  strength  is  very  weakness 
itself.  God  is  good,  nevertheless." 

His  interest  in  one  of  the  societies  of  which  he  had  been 
pastor,  and  his  just  views  of  the  duty  of  a  religious 
society  to  cooperate  with  their  minister,  are  thus  ex 
pressed  in  a  letter  to  a  member  of  that  society,  date 
August  19,  1852 : 

"  I  have  no  doubt  that  you  will  be  pleased  with  brother 

T .  He  is  zealous  and  true-hearted,  and  will  do  all 

he  can  for  the  prosperity  of  your  society.  But  I  do  hope 
the  people  will  not  depend  too  much  on  him,  or  on  any 
thing  else,  for  permanent  prosperity,  save  their  own  en 
deavors  to  carry  out  the  principles  of  our  faith,  and  the 
blessing  of  God.  I  hope  you  will  try  to  have  our  friends 
realize  the  position  in  which  this  movement  places  them, 
—  the  amount  of  devotedness  which  is  required  at  their 
hands.  All  eyes  will  be  turned  upon  them ;  high  expect 
ation  raised  all  around.  And  if  this  project  fails,  it  will 
be  bad  for  the  society,  for  the  cause  of  truth,  and  for 
those  engaged  as  its  public  defenders.  You  must  not 
fail. 

"A  splendid  church,  a  talented  and  eloquent  minister, 
a  good  choir,  and  high  salaries,  all  sound  very  encourag 
ingly,  and  no  doubt  do  much  towards  making  a  full  con 
gregation.  But,  as  you  observe,  these  are  not  all  the 
necessaries  required  in  the  permanent  upbuilding  of  a 
good  religious  society.  The  people  must  have  a  mind 
to  work." 


MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD.  288 

The  Grafton  Association  held  its  annual  session  in 
Thornton,  on  the  2d  of  September.  Mr.  Moore  had 
invited  other  ministers  to  attend.  He  was  present,  and 
preached,  on  the  occasion,  a  long  discourse  to  a  deeply- 
interested  audience.  He  also  attended  the  United  States 
Convention,  which  held  its  meeting  this  year  in  the  city 
of  New  York.  In  October  he  attended  an  association  in 
Dunbarton,  N.  H.  He  received,  about  this  time,  an 
urgent  invitation  to  engage  as  a  state  missionary  in  Con 
necticut,  but  declined,  and  recommended  to  the  attention 
of  those  who  invited  him  Rev.  Abraham  Norwood,  who 
was  subsequently  engaged,  and  the  success  of  whose  min 
istry  has  since  evidenced  the  wisdom  of  the  recommend 
ation. 

During  this  year  Mr.  Moore  preached,  on  the  Sabbath, 
in  Salisbury,  Washington,  Weare,  and  other  places  in 
New  Hampshire;  and  was  probably  as  diligent  and 
effective  in  his  ministry  as  in  any  former  year  of  it.  He 
writes  in  his  diary,  on  the  last  day  of  the  year : 

"How  eventful  has  been  the  year  closing  with  this 
day !  Several  leading  men  have  been  removed  by  death ; 
Rev.  Hosea  Ballou,  one  of  the  greatest  of  theological 
reformers  that  have  appeared  since  the  apostolic  age; 
Hon.  Henry  Clay,  and  Hon.  Daniel  Webster,  both  men 
of  vast  powers  and  influence ;  the  former  at  his  death  a 
member  of  the  American  Senate,  and  the  latter  Secretary 
of  State  of  the  United  States ;  —  men  whose  places  can 
not  be  filled,  especially  the  first  and  last  named.  Mr. 
Webster  possessed  the  most  powerful  intellect  of  the  age. 


284  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

"  Thus  we  close  this  year  under  a  grateful  sense  of 
the  divine  goodness,  and  our  high  obligations  to  God  for 
life  and  all  its  favors ;  and  enter  upon  a  new  year  full  of 
trust  in  Him  who  has  hitherto  heen  our  help." 

On  the  first  Sabbath  in  January  Mr.  Moore  took  for 
the  subject  of  his  morning  discourse,  The  Worth  of  the 
Bible.  The  occasion  of  the  topic  at  that  time  was  the 
presentation  of  a  new  and  elegant  Bible  to  the  society,  to 
be  used  in  the  pulpit.  His  text  was,  "  Search  the  Scrip 
tures  :  for  in  them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life,  and  they 
are  they  which  testify  of  me.1'' — John  5  :  89.  The  dis 
course  is  a  clear  and  manly  vindication  of  the  Scriptures, 
showing  their  worth  in  their  historical,  literary,  and 
moral  aspects,  and  especially  in  their  revelation  of  immor 
tality  for  man.  We  give  a  passage  or  two  from  the 
introductory  remarks : 

"  If  a  friend  should  present  us  with  the  record  of  the 
will  of  some  benefactor,  who  had  bequeathed  to  us  a  life- 
estate  of  such  an  amount  as  would  secure  to  us  all  the 
comforts  and  conveniences  which  our  circumstances  might 
demand ;  which  record  was  the  proof  to  us  of  the  benevo 
lent  disposition  of  the  donor,  as  also  of  his  ability  to  per 
form  the  promise ;  we  should  regard  it  as  a  present  of 
great  value,  indeed.  And  we  should  be  delighted  in 
reading  that  record  again  and  again.  Especially  if  we 
were  ever  in  doubt  in  regard  to  the  supply  which  we 
might  feel  that  we  needed,  should  we  recur  to  the  record 
and  search  it. 

"  Or,  if  we  were  travelling  in  a  strange  country,  and 


MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD.  285 

some  one  should  put  into  our  hand  a  guide-book,  in  which 
was  delineated,  as  on  a  map,  the  most  agreeable  path,  ia 
which  we  might  find  all  that  our  best  good  required ; 
which  also  pointed  out  all  the  dangers  of  the  way,  giving 
particular  and  plain  directions,  by  observing  which  we 
could  feel  assured  of  freedom  from  any  dangers ;  should 
we  not  regard  the  gift  as  a  favor  ?  And  should  we  not 
often  consult  its  directions  ?  Need  I  press  so  plain  a 
question  ?  Now,  the  Bible  is  a  record  of  the  will  and 
purpose  of  God  our  Father  respecting  our  duty  and  des 
tiny,  giving  us  the  assurance  of  his  divine  protection  in 
all  the  journey  of  human  life,  and  even  through  the 
valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  so  that  we  may  fear  no 
evil." 

On  the  2d  of  February  he  went  to  North  Enfield,  to 
attend  the  dedication  of  a  new  meeting-house  there,  and 
preached  the  sermon  on  the  occasion.  On  Wednesday, 
March  5th,  he  preached  three  discourses  in  Barnstead, 
and  afterwards  spent  a  Sabbath  in  a  similar  service  in 
that  place. 

The  month  of  May  finds  him  again  in  Boston,  at  the 
anniversary  meetings.  We  hear  of  him  again,  too,  at 
the  festival  in  Faneuil  Hall.  It  was  a  large  meeting,  and 
one  of  the  best  held  in  the  city  during  that  great  week. 
Mr.  Charles  F.  Eaton,  of  Boston,  presided.  A  senti 
ment  complimentary  to  New  Hampshire  having  been 
given,  Mr.  Moore  arose  and  said : 

"The  last  speaker  (Mr.  Willis)  being  a  New  Hamp 
shire  man,  it  was  scarcely  time  to  hear  from  that  state 


286  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

again.  There  was  one  word  in  the  sentiment  which  had 
been  offered  that  moved  his  heart  more  than  any  other, 
—  it  was  the  word  universally.  '  When  a  boy,  I  could 
not  read  that  word  without  a  thrill  of  joy ;  and  now  that 
I  have  become  a  man,  in  stature  at  least  [weight,  two 
hundred  and  forty  pounds],  I  have  not  put  away  that 
childish  thing.'  The  speaker  thus  went  playfully  on. 
He  spoke  of  the  eternal  hills  of  New  Hampshire,  and  com 
pared  them  to  the  everlasting  promise  of  God. 

'  Engraved  as  in  eternal  brass, 

The  gracious  promise  shines  ; 
Nor  shall  the  hand  of  time  erase 
Those  everlasting  lines.' 

He  referred  to  the  sentiment  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  in 
his  letter  to  Elhanan  Winchester,  written  in  November, 
1791. 

"Mr.  Moore  concluded  by  saying  that  Universalism 
put  into  our  hearts  the  principle  of  universal  freedom, 
universal  love.  Christians  used  to  be  willing  to  wait  for 
these  things  until  they  entered  the  eternal  world.  For 
his  part,  he  panted  for  universal  freedom  now,  universal 
love  now, —  he  could  not  wait, —  now,  NOW  is  the  ac 
cepted  time, —  NOW  is  the  day  of  salvation.  He 
closed  with  great  power,  and  was  followed  with  great 
applause." 

Such  is  the  small  report  from  the  papers  of  the  day  of 
a  great  and  strong  speech. 

Some  thoughts  expressed  to  his  son,  about  this  time, 


MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD.  287 

in  reference  to  a  change  of  place  which  the  son  had  con 
templated,  are  characteristic  of  the  man  and  the  parent : 
"  If,  after  duly  weighing  the  subject  all  around,  you  feel 
moved  to  go,  and  can  do  so  honorably,  then  go ;  but  not 
otherwise.  I  had  rather  you  would  die  than  do  a  dishon 
orable  act.  You  need  not  be  .so  anxious  about  a  living, 
as  about  living  right.  May  God  guide  you  in  all 
things !  " 

On  the  morning  of  June  llth,  while  bathing,  Mr. 
Moore  was  attacked  with  paralysis  in  his  right  arm, 
which  rendered  it  perfectly  powerless,  slightly  affecting 
his  right  side.  It  was  the  first  shock  of  the  kind  he  had 
ever  experienced,  and  caused  some  serious  apprehension 
on  the  part  of  himself  and  family  as  to  what  it  might 
indicate.  In  a  few  days  the  trouble  subsided.  But  so 
strong  was  the  impression  made  upon  Mr.  Moore,  that  he 
could  not  deem  his  duty  done  without  some  word  in  ref 
erence  to  the  event,  addressed  to  his  friends.  Accord 
ingly,  we  find  in  the  Trumpet  of  June  25th  the  follow 
ing  epistle  from  his  hand  : 

FRIENDLY  EPISTLE. 

"  BR.  WHITTEMORE:  By  your  permission  I  would, 
through  the  medium  of  the  Trumpet,  say  a  word  to  my 
friends  and  brethren  scattered  abroad  throughout  our 
beloved  country.  I  am  moved  to  this  course  by  the 
attack  of  paralysis  which  I  experienced  on  the  llth  inst., 
from  which  I  have  not  yet  wholly  recovered.  My  hope 
is  that  in  a  few  weeks,  at  furthest,  I  shall  be  myself 


288  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

again,  though  my  friends,  many  of  them,  think  me  in  a 
somewhat  critical  condition.  "Whether  I  shall  recover  or 
not,  God  knoweth  ;  and  let  his  will  be  done. 

"  My  words  must  be  few,  as  the  excitement  of  address 
ing  this  letter  to  my  old  friends  may  not  be  for  my 
physical  good. 

"1.  To  my  ministering  brethren.  —  Dear  Brothers  in 
Christ :  We  are  mutually  engaged  in  a  most  gloriously 
important  mission ;  a  work  demanding  all  the  powers 
which  we  can  bring  to  bear  upon  and  further  the  blessed 
work  of  proclaiming,  illustrating,  enforcing,  both  by  pre 
cept  and  example,  the  '  glorious  Gospel  of  the  blessed 
God.'  And  now,  in  all  kindness  and  love,  let  me  exhort 
you  all,  old  and  young,  to  '  magnify  your  office ;  do  the 
•work  of  evangelists ;  make  full  proof  of  your  ministry.' 
Let  the  BIBLE  be  the  man  of  your  counsel,  Jesus  Christ 
your  great  exemplar,  and  the  spirit  of  truth  and  love 
your  all-sufficient  support  and  your  exceeding  reward ; 
that  every  day  may  witness  the  devotedness  of  your 
labors,  bringing  to  your  hearts  the  approbation  of  our 
heavenly  Father. 

"2.  To  societies,  and  brethren  scattered  abroad  without 
organization :  Brethren,  on  you  it  depends,  in  a  great 
measure,  whether  the  cause  of  Universalism  flourishes,  to 
the  glory  of  God  and  the  happiness  and  moral  progress 
of  the  world,  or  not.  On  you  it  depends,  under  God,  in 
a  great  measure,  whether  our  ministers  are  zealous,  de 
voted  servants  of  Christ,  or  whether  they  are  prosy, 
disheartened,  and  selfish.  Do  not,  I  beseech  you,  think 


MINISTRY  IN  CONCORD.  289 

that  your  minister  alone,  though  he  speak  the  words  of 
truth  ever  so  eloquently,  can  build  you  up  in  the  knowl 
edge  and  enjoyment  of  Gospel  truth,  without  your  zeal 
ous  cooperation.  Men's  preaching  will  not  do  it.  The 
Gospel  must  be  exemplified  in  the  life,  before  its  beauty 
and  divine  loveliness  will  be  seen  and  appreciated  by  the 
world.  Therefore,  if  you  would  be  happy,  and  contrib 
ute  to  the  welfare  of  your  friends  and  the  world,  and 
glorify  your  Maker  and  Preserver,  be  practical  TJniver- 
salists.  Do  not  make  your  minister  selfish,  by  being  so 
yourselves.  Give  him  a  good  example  in  this  regard, 
and,  if  you  have  not  made  a  great  mistake  in  the  man  of 
your  choice,  he  will  follow  it 

"  And  you,  brethren,  who  are  not  enjoying  the  benefits 
of  society  or  church  organization,  study  to  know  and 
then  be  prompt  to  do  your  duty ;  give  your  influence  to 
the  cause  of  truth ;  despise  not  the  day  of  small  things. 
You  can  each  do  something  to  advance  the  cause  of  Uni- 
versalism,  even  if  you  are  alone  in  your  faith.  You 
can  even  then  live  the  doctrine ;  you  can  talk  it  to  others, 
and,  if  they  doubt  its  truth,  you  can,  in  time,  show  them 
its  good  effects  in  your  conduct,  which  will  at  length  con 
vince  them  of  your  truthfulness.  Further,  you  can  take, 
and  read,  and  lend  to  others,  a  good  periodical  support 
ing  our  views,  which  will  be  a  good  substitute  for  the 
living  preacher ;  and  you  can  always  have  the  word  and 
the  spirit  of  God's  truth  and  grace,  which  are  weapons 
of  defence  and  conquest,  all-powerful  when  rightly  used. 
25 


290  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOOEE. 

But  remember,  they  must  be  used,   not  occasionally, 
merely,  but  constantly. 

"  And  now,  dear  friends  and  brethren,  one  and  all, 
among  whom  I  have  been  preaching  the  word,  and  who 
may  read  this  short  epistle :  I  seem  to  see  you  in  your 
families,  and  in  your  various  relations  in  life,  all  striving 
for  happiness  ;  and,  if  this  is  my  last  word  to  you  on 
earth,  all  I  can  say,  or  desire  to  say,  is  comprehended  in 
the  following  :  Trust  in  God ;  hope  in  his  mercy  ; 
obey  his  laws ;  and,  through  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 
look  forward  to  a  glorious  immortality  for  yourselves 
and  your  race.  Amen.  JOHN  MOORE." 

On  the  fourth  Sunday  in  May  he  delivered  a  discourse 
on  "  Recent  Railroad  and  Steamboat  Disasters,"  from 
Proverbs  27:  1, — "Boast  not  of  to-morrow  :  for  thou 
knowest  not  what  a  day  may  bring  forth."  The  dreadful 
destruction  of  human  life  at  Norwalk,  Ct.,  and  on  one  of 
the  western  railroads,  and  also  the  burning  of  a  steamer 
on  one  of  the  western  rivers,  called  forth  the  discourse. 
It  was  a  timely  and  an  eminently  practical  one,  and  was 
well  received  by  the  hearers. 

In  August  Mr.  Moore  visited  and  preached  in  Brad 
ford,  Vt.,  and  North  Haverhill,  N.  H.  His  record  at 
the  last  of  the  month  reads  :  "  Visited  Strafford  and 
Northfield,  Vt. ;  attended  Convention  at  N. ;  preached 
fourth  Sunday  in  S.  :  visited  Lebanon  and  Enfield ; 
preached  one  Sunday  in  September  at  Springfield,  Vt. 
Monday  evening,  lectured  at  Canaan,  on  temperance. 


MINISTRY  IN   CONCORD.  291 

Attended  an  association  at  North  Enfield,  thence  home. 
A  pleasant  journey."  He  preached  one  Sabbath  of  this 
month  in  Pittsfield,  N?H.,  and  also  journeyed  to  Con 
necticut  and  New  York  city,  visiting  the  "World's 
Fair  "  in  the  latter  place. 

Of  his  health  and  prospects  he  writes  in  a  letter  to  a 
friend,  dated  October  25th:  "Whether  I  am  to  break 
down  now,  just  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  in  the  beginning 
of  my  most  substantial  and  profitable  experience,  I  do 
not  know.  I  think  not.  Still,  I  may  be  mistaken.  I 
do  not  desire  to  know  beforehand  what  I  am  to  experi 
ence.  I  sometimes  think  it  would  be  more  pleasant 
te  be  free  from  the  care  of  a  society ;  but,  after  all,  care 
is  a  favor  •  and  at  present  it  is  probably  best  for  me  to 
hold  on  as  I  am.  I  must  preach  while  I  am  able,  of 
course.  How  could  I  live  without  preaching  1  But  I 
know  I  ought  to  be  prudent ;  and  intend  to  be,  surely  ! 
Whoever  knew  a  man  that  intended  to  be  imprudent  1 " 

On  the  last  Sabbath  in  January  Mr.  Moore  preached 
in  Plymouth,  N.  H.  On  the  coming  of  his  birth-day 
again,  we  find  him  indulging  in  thoughts  such  as  had 
often  before  visited  him,  and  to  which  he  gave  the  warm 
est  welcome  :  "  Fifty-seven  years  since  I  commenced  my 
mortal  life.  For  the  last  twenty-eight  years,  and  a  little 
more,  I  have  endeavored  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  the  uni 
versal  grace  of  God  ;  and  hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped 
me,  for  which  may  I  ever  be  grateful !  Father  in 
heaven  !  Still  direct  and  uphold  thy  frail,  dependent 


292  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

child,  that  the  powers  which  thou  hast  given  him  may  be 
consecrated  to  thy  service  ! ' ' 

In  May  he  went  to  Boston  to*attend  the  meeting  of 
the  New  England  Universalist  Reform  Association,  and 
the  annual  festival;  but,  soon  after  reaching  the  city, 
received  a  telegraphic  despatch,  asking  his  attendance  of 
the  funeral  of  a  friend  in  Vermont,  with  which  request 
he  felt  it  his  duty  to  comply. 

"  Anniversary  week/'  in  Boston,  this  year,  was  one 
of  intense  excitement,  chiefly  on  account  of  the  trial  and 
rendition  of  the  slave  Anthony  Burns.  Never  before 
was  the  anti-slavery  sentiment  of  New  England  more 
thoroughly  aroused.  It  pervaded  all  the  meetings  of 
that  eventful  season,  and  awakened  voices  in  many  New 
England  pulpits  on  Sabbaths  following.  Mr.  Moore 
shared  in  the  general  feeling.  On  the  third  Sabbath  in 
June  we  find  him  preaching  a  discourse  to  his  people  on 
the  "  Characteristics  of  the  true  Reformer/'  His  text 
was  Matt.  10  :  16, —  "  Be  ye  therefore  wise  as  serpents, 
and  harmless  as  doves."  The  discourse  was  plain, 
strong,  and  judicious.  The  speaker  showed  the  reform 
atory  tendencies  of  Christianity  ;  that  the  Gospel  of  the 
grace  of  God  proposes  to  remove  all  that  is  wrong,  1st, 
in  the  individual  heart  and  life  ;  2d,  in  the  family ;  3d, 
in  the  church,  embracing  all  who  recognize  Christ  as 
their  pattern ;  4th,  from  the  state,  from  the  smallest 
body  to  the  largest,  both  in  making  and  administering 
laws.  While  there  is  any  wrong  or  evil  in  any  of  these 
departments  of  human  society,  to  any  extent,  every  fol- 


MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD.  293 

lower  of  the  great  Reformer  —  every  one  to  whom  the 
word  of  the  Gospel  comes  —  is  bound,  by  the  great  and 
irrepealable  law  of  God  and  humanity,  to  throw  the 
weight  of  his  influence  into  the  work  of  reformation. 
Every  one  is,  in  some  sort,  responsible  for  any  evil  that 
may  exist  in  the  world,  if  he  refuses  or  neglects  to  do 
what  is  required  of  him,  by  the  great  law  of  humanity, 
to  remove  that  evil.  This  responsibility  is  graduated 
according  to  the  position  occupied  by  the  individual,  and 
the  ability  given  him.  Nor  can  this  responsibility 
be  thrown  off  or  avoided  by  any  human  laws.  It  must 
be  met,  and  faithfully  discharged,  if  we  would  enjoy  the 
approbation  of  God,  and  of  a  manly  and  Christian  heart. 
The  speaker  showed  the  beauty  and  justness  of  the  direc 
tions  here  given  as  to  the  way  in  which  the  work  of 
reformation  should  go  on  —  in  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent, 
and  in  the  harmlessness  of  the  dove.  He  spoke  of  the 
rashness  of  some  reformers,  and  of  the  firmness  and  faith 
fulness  needful  with  all. 

To  the  question,  Should  our  law-makers  contravene 
God's  law  by  their  enactment,  what  must  we  do?  he 
replies  :  "  Obey  God  rather  than  man."  Resist  the  law 
of  the  land  !  is  it  asked  ?  No,  not  forcibly,  but  pas 
sively  ;  submit  to  human  authority,  according  to  the 
laws  of  the  country  where  you  dwell,  so  far  as  a  good 
conscience  will  justify  you ;  but  beyond  that  you  need 
not  go  willingly.  Submit  to  the  penalty  of  the  law, 
rather  than  transgress  the  law  of  God.  In  the  conclu 
sion  of  the  discourse,  he  remarks  :  "Any  movement,  not 
25* 


294          MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

based  on  moral  right,  ought  not  to  succeed.  This  is  the 
reason  why  Universalism  must  prevail.  Every  senti 
ment  opposed  to  it  is  morally  wrong.  As  Universalism 
prevails, —  that  Christianity  which  consists  in  loving 
God  supremely,  and  our  fellow-men  as  ourselves, 
—  wrong  must  die  out  for  want  of  sustenance." 

In  a  letter  to  his  son,  not  long  afterwards,  he  says : 
"  I  will  not  be  a  political  partisan ;  but  /  will  preach 
against  sin  and  the  devil,  whether  in  high  places  or  low  ; 
and  if  I  make  any  difference,  I  will  spare  the  weak  and 
ignorant,  rather  than  others.  I  will  not  encourage  a  mob 
spirit,  nor  forcible  resistance  to  the  laws  of  the  land ;  nor 
will  I  disobey  the  law  of  God,  for  the  sake  of  obeying 
the  laws  even  of  Congress,  or  any  other  legislative  body. 
I  will  be  ho?iest,  and  do  what  I  can  to  induce  others  to 
be  so ;  advising  them  to  be  true  to  their  own  convictions 
of  right  and  duty,  irrespective  of  party,  or  any  other  con 
sideration.  But  I  would  be  wise  and  harmless." 

During  the  summer  months  Mr.  Moore  preached  one 
Sabbath  in  "Ware,  one  in  Wentworth,  and  another  in 
Bristol,  N.  H.  In  August  he  visited  Strafford,  his 
native  place,  and  there  preached  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
afterwards  made  a  number  of  calls  on  old  acquaintances 
and  friends.  He  visited  Rev.  Aaron  Buzzell,  then  in  his 
ninetieth  year,  but  quite  feeble.  He  visited  the  graves 
of  his  parents,  and  writes :  "  I  there  prayed  that  God 
would  preserve  me  in  the  path  of  duty  and  truth,  until 
he  shall  call  me  to  meet  the  departed  ones  in  glory." 

We  find  in  his  journal  kept  this  autumn  frequent 


MINISTRY   IN    CONCORD.  295 

records  of  brief  and  expressive  prayers.  They  breathe 
the  spirit  of  confidence  in  heaven,  resignation  to  the  di 
vine  will,  of  patience,  fortitude,  living  zeal,  and  large  love. 

In  a  letter  to  his  friend  and  brother,  Rev.  W.  S.  Balch, 
of  New  York  city,  he  takes  occasion  to  speak  freely  of 
the  life  of  the  minister,  and  also  of  the  interest  he  takes 
in  the  success  of  a  college  and  theological  seminary, 
under  the  fostering  care  of  the  denomination  to  which  he 
belonged : 

"Concord,  N.  H.,  Nov.  25,  1854. —  I  have,  my  dear 
brother,  just  concluded  the  reading  of  your  anniversary 
sermon  on  the  '  Preacher's  Reward.'  It  is  so  good,  so 
truthful,  so  in  agreement  with  my  own  ideas,  experience, 
and  hopes,  that  I  want  to  give  you  my  warm  right  hand  ; 
but,  as  I  cannot  do  that,  literally,  allow  me  to  offer  you 
my  warmest  gratitude. for  that  production.  *  * 

"  The  reward  —  the  '  pay  '  for  a  minister's  services ; 
what  is  it?  0,  how  blind  are  most  people  on  this 
subject  !***** 

"  I  see  that  you  are  in  a  fair  way  to  succeed  in  the 
opening  of  a  theological  school.  Success  to  the  enter 
prise.  I  will  state  to  you  my  views  respecting  the  col 
lege  and  a  theological  institution.  We  have  in  New  Eng 
land  and  the  Middle  States  colleges  enough,  and  perhaps 
liberal  enough  for  all  literary  and  scientific  purposes. 
If  our  people  had  put  their  hands  to  the  work  of  estab 
lishing  a  theological  seminary  on  a  permanent  basis, 
more  efficient  aid  would  have  been  given  to  our  ministry 
and  cause!  But  we  have  a  college,  and  shall  have  a 


296  MEMOIR  OF   JOHN  MOORE. 

theological  school  too,  I  have  no  doubt ;  and  I  pray  that 
they  may  both  be  strong  and  effective." 

The  new  year  opened  auspiciously,  and  found  him 
with  improving  health,  still  eagerly  engaged  in  his  pro 
fessional  duties.  The  recorded  prayer  tells  us  where  his 
first  thoughts  were.  "  Before  going  out  to  attend  to  the 
duties  of  life,  and  while  just  about  to  enter  upon  the 
labors  of  a  new  year,"  he  seeks  that  guidance  by  which 
the  erring  are  led  aright,  and  that  power  through  which 
weakness  itself  is  made  strong.  It  was  the  prayer  of 
living  faith  ;  and  its  gracious  answerings  came. 

Mr.  Moore  had  never  in  his  life  sought  political  dis 
tinction,  nor  taken  any  active  partisan  interest  in  the 
political  strifes  of  his  time.  His  interest  in  the  Christian 
ministry  was  above  all  other  interests  ;  his  love  for  that, 
above  all  other  loves.  His  first  text  contained  his  great 
life-direction,  always  :  "  As  ye  go,  preach,  saying,  The 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  Whatever  of  this  king 
dom  he  could  see  in  the  political  movements  of  the  times, 
that  he  rejoiced  in ;  and  whenever  he  had  occasion  to 
speak  of  what  of  this  kingdom  he  thought  the  politics  of 
his  own  country  or  other  countries  needed  for  their  good, 
he  was  free  to  declare  his  sentiments'.  With  political 
parties,  as  such,  however,  he  was  never  anxious  to 
mingle  and  act.  He  had  his  own  ideas  of  political  right, 
and  often  expressed  them  very  frankly  to  his  friends  in 
letter  and  conversation.  Writing  to  a  friend  in  April, 
1854.  he  says :  "  You  know  I  never  was  much  of  a  polit 
ical  man.  But  a  few  weeks  or  months  since.  I  found 


MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD.  297 

myself  on  the  following  '  platform,' —  for  how  can  a  man 
of  my  bulk  stand  without  a  platform  on  which  to  place 
my  feet  ?  I  do  not  know  as  you  will  approve  of  it,  but 
it  was  present  with  me  as  I  was  writing  to  a  friend ;  so 
I  will  state  it  to  you.  '  I  will  go  for  any  just  measures 
that  will  serve  to  keep  rum  out  of  free  men,  and  slavery 
out  of  free  territory.' J; 

An  event  now  took  place  which  served  to  bring  Mr. 
Moore  very  prominently  before  the  people  of  New  Hamp 
shire.  On  the  evening  of  January  16th,  after  he  had 
retired,  he  was  waited  upon  by  a  committee,  informing 
him  that  at  the  convention  of  the  American  party,  held 
that  day  in  Manchester,  he  had  been  nominated  as  can 
didate  for  Governor  of  the  State.  He  was  solicited  to  go 
with  them  to  Manchester  on  the  following  morning,  and 
formally  accept  the  nomination.  As  he  had  sought  no 
such  honor  at  the  hands  of  his  friends,  he  was  in  much 
doubt  as  to  the  acceptance  of  it ;  but  at  length  concluded 
to  accede  to  their  wishes.  It  was  subsequently  discovered 
that  he  was  ineligible  to  the  office,  as  he  had  not,  accord 
ing  to  the  constitution,  resided  in  the  state  seven  years 
next  preceding  the  election. 

His  account  of  the  nomination,  and  his  feelings  re 
specting  it,  are  thus  given  in  a  letter  to  his  son.  The 
letter  contains  also  the  principal  details  of  five  days'  ex 
perience,  showing  us  how  full  his  life  was  at  this  time  of 
his  professional  work. 

"  Concord,  January  23,  1855.  —  Dear  Son:  Yours 
of  Friday  was  received  last  evening,  on  my  return  from 


298  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

Vermont.     Let  me  give  you  a  chapter  in  the  history  of 
my  life  for  five  days. 

"  Last  Tuesday  evening,  at  half-past  ten  o'clock,  I 
was  awaked  from  a  sound  sleep  by  a  committee  of  four 
gentlemen  from  the  state  convention  then  in  session  at 
Manchester  for  the  nomination  of  state  officers,  inform 
ing  me  that  I  was  elected  candidate  for  the  office  of 
Governor  at  the  next  election,  and  desiring  my  presence 
before  that  body  at  eight  o'clock  next  morning.  I  con 
cluded  to  go,  and  next  morning  stood  up  before  about 
seven  hundred  delegates  from  all  parties  and  all  parts  of 
the  state,  and  signified  my  acceptance  of  the  nomination. 
The  most  interest  I  had  expressed  in  regard  to  the  mat 
ter  was,  to  say,  on  Friday  evening  before,  in  a  mass  meet 
ing,  that  I  '  should  like  to  see  a  return  of  the  time  when 
the  office  should  seek  the  man,  and  not  the  man  the 
office  ; '  not  dreaming  that  /  should  be  sought  so  soon  ! 
But  you  have  probably  seen  that,  after  the  adjournment 
of  the  convention,  it  was  discovered  that  I  was  ineligible 
to  the  office,  not  having  resided  in  the  state  seven  years 
next  preceding  the  election.  I  am  told  that  were  it  not 
for  this,  my  election  by  a  large  majority  would  have  been 
certain.  /  am  perfectly  resigned,  as  you  may  suppose, 
but  for  the  trouble  to  my  friends  of  holding  another  con 
vention.  I  had  engaged  to  be  at  Piermont  and  lecture 
on  temperance,  Wednesday  evening.  So  I  took  the  cars 
for  that  place.  Next  day  returned  to  Enfield,  and  at 
tended  the  ordination  of  brother  Bliss.  Friday,  in  one 
of  the  hardest  of  snow-storms,  I  was  taken  to  Hanover  to 


MINISTRY   IN   CONCORD.  299 

attend  the  funeral  of  Mr.  J.  Ward,  Jr. ;  and  that  night 
was  sent  for  to  attend  the  funeral  of  a  child  of  Mr. 
Morrill,  in  Strafford.  I  "went,  and,  considering  it  doubt 
ful  whether,  on  account  of  the  late  storm,  I  could  reach 
home  Saturday  night,  concluded  to  tarry  over  the  Sab 
bath  in  S.  Preached  Sabbath  evening.  The  next  morn 
ing  it  rained  in  torrents  till  noon.  I  rode  in  an  open 
stage  to  the  depot,  and  arrived  home  at  four  p.  M.,  yester 
day.  I  telegraphed,  so  that  there  was  no  service  in  our 
church  Sunday.  Thus  in  five  days  I  endured  all  that 
travel  and  exertion ;  speaking  in  public  as  much  as  I 
should  have  done  in  eight  long  church  services,  beside 
the  necessary  and  unavoidable  private  talk  —  exclusive, 
too,  of  the  Manchester  speech,  which  was  short.  And 
here  I  am  in  good  health,  for  me.  If  I  had  known  all 
this  beforehand,  I  should  have  quailed  before  it. 

"As  to  the  effect  which  the  nomination  may  have  on 
some  friends,  I  do  not  know ;  nor  am  I  anxious  about  it, 
for  myself.  I  am  free  ;  but  shall  keep  out  of  politics 
and  office  until  I  am  called  for,  which  I  hope  will  never 
be ;  nevertheless,  I  will  do  what,  on  the  whole,  appears 
to  be  my  duty."  In  speaking  of  his  nomination,  the 
editor  of  the  Trumpet  sa"id  of  him  :  "  Had  his  life  been 
spared,  and  had  he  been  eligible,  and  been  elected,  he 
would  have  made  a  noble  officer.  Not  only  .would  his 
grand  and  dignified  appearance  have  recommended  him 
to  public  favor,  but  he  would  have  administered  the  gov 
ernment  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  Justice  would  have 
been  his  polar  star ;  mercy,  his  leading  passion ;  and 


300  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

piety  his  strong  foundation.     He  would  have  based  hia 
life  on  the  precept  in  Micah  6  :  8." 

A  correspondent  of  the  Christian  Freeman,  Rev. 
Gr.  H.  Emerson,  immediately  after  the  nomination  "wrote : 
"The  news  is  altogether  too  good  to  be  true.  Judging 
from  the  past,  from  the  kind  of  men  that  have  too  often 
been  elected  to  high  offices,  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that 
such  a  man  as  John  Moore,  —  a  man  whose  strict  integ 
rity  is  utterly  incapable  of  receiving  one  stain  of  corrup 
tion,  who  would  not  equivocate  in  the  smallest  degree, 
not  even  for  the  office  of  President  of  the  United  States, 
who,  in  all  things,  as  far  as  fallible  humanity  can  well 
be,  is  the  model  man  ;  —  that  such  a  man  is  proposed  for 
a  State  Governor  in  these  degenerate  days,  is,  we  repeat, 
difficult  to  believe. 

"It  is  said,  by  those  in  the  secret,  that  there  can  be 
but  little  doubt  of  his  election.  For  the  sake  of  New 
Hampshire,  for  the  sake  of  having  one  glorious  oasis 
in  the  political  desert,  we  hope  it  may  so  prove.  As  a 
political  partisan  we  have  not  a  word  to  say  of  him  ;  but 
as  a  man  he  is  the  very  one  that  Diogenes  with  his 
lamp  was  looking  for. 

"  P.  S.  Since  the  above  was  in  print,  our  fears  that  the 
news  was  too  good  to  be  true  have  been  realized.  Mr. 
Moore  was  nominated,  but  the  constitution,  requiring 
seven  years'  residence,  disqualifies  him  from  holding  office. 
We  are  sorry  for  New  Hampshire." 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

HIS    DEATH. 

THE  private  journal  of  Mr.  Moore  ends  with  Satur 
day,  February  3d.  The  record  is  there  made  of  an  en 
gagement  to  deliver  a  public  address  in  Barnstead,  on 
the  first  of  March.  We  have  already  alluded  to  the  fact 
that  he  had  been  troubled  for  years  with  what  seemed  to 
be  an  affection  of  the  heart.  He  would  experience,  at 
times,  an  indescribable  pain  in  the  chest,  especially  when 
going  up  stairs,  or  up  hill,  or  walking  against  the  wind. 
Some  of  the  physicians  in  Boston  pronounced  the  disorder 
angina  pectoris,  the  result  of  an  organic  disease  of  the 
heart,  or  of  the  arteries  lying  near  that  organ.  Because 
of  his  liability  to  be  thus  affected,  his  family  had  become 
someAvhat  anxious  about  him,  and,  only  a  few  days  before 
the  time  of  his  last  record  in  the  journal,  we  find  the 
notice  of  a  caution  given  him,  in  a  letter  from  his  son, 
against  over-taxing  his  mind  and  body ;  which  the  father 
considers  very  timely  admonition,  and  blesses  his  son 
for  it. 

26 


302  MEMOIR  OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

He  had  agreed  to  exchange  pulpit  services  on  Sunday, 
February  4th,  with  Rev.  C.  H.  Fay,  of  Nashua.  Before 
leaving  his  home,  he  complained  of  ill-feeling.  He, 
however,  departed,  as  usual,  to  fulfil  his  engagement 
with  the  ministering  brother,  who  had  grown  up  in  early 
life  under  his  pastoral  care,  and  with  whom  he  had  lived, 
in  later  days,  on  terms  of  closest  Christian  intimacy.  As 
a  living  man,  he  had  done  his  last  work  in  that  home ; 
and  no  one  could  pass  out  of  an  earthly  mansion,  to  enter 
upon  its  enjoyments  no  more,  with  a  purer  conscience  or 
firmer  trust  than  he. 

The  next  day,  Sabbath,  was  spent  by  him  in  Nashua. 
He  conducted  the  services  in  the  church  with  his  accus 
tomed  ease  and  earnestness,  although,  at  times,  through  the 
day  and  evening,  he  was  subject  to  the  unpleasant  sensa 
tions  such  as  had  troubled  him  the  day  before.  He  tarried 
Sunday  night  with  the  family  of  Mr.  Gillis,  and  on  Mon 
day  morning  took  the  cars  to  return  home.  Arriving  at  the 
depot  in  Concord,  he  was  met  by  his  friend,  the  minister 
with  whom  he  had  exchanged.  After  a  short  conversation, 
they  separated,  agreeing  to  meet  again  at  his  house,  to 
enjoy  a  social  interview  for  a  few  hours.  He  passed  up 
School-street,  exchanging  salutations,  as  usual,  with  his 
fellow-citizens,  and  when  near  the  church,  where,  during 
the  five  years  past  he  had  officiated,  he  was  seen  to  falter, 
sink  upon  his  knees,  and  fall.  This  was  a  few  minutes 
before  eleven  o'clock.  On  the  arrival  of  the  first  person 
who  could  reach  him,  it  was  found  that  life  had  departed. 
He  must  have  died  instantly,  and  without  previous  in- 


HIS  DEATH.  303 

tense  pain,  as  but  a  few  moments  before  he  had  spoken 
with  his  usual  freedom  and  cheerfulness.  He  was  con 
veyed  immediately,  by  neighbors  and  friends,  to  his  home. 
The  tidings  of  this  afflictive  event  were  quickly  abroad. 
"  I  learned,"  says  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fay,  "  the  sad  news, 
while  on  my  way  to  his  residence  to  fulfil  my  engagement. 
My  wife,  who  preceded  me  a  few  moments,  entered  his 
home  soon  after  his  body  had  been  borne  thither.  She 
was  ignorant  of  the  sadness  which  filled  that  home,  until 
she  stepped  upon  its  threshold.  Shall  I  attempt  to  de 
scribe  the  emotions  which  shook  my  frame  when  I  first 
heard  the  awful  tidings  ?  or,  when  I  looked  upon  that 
noble  form,  cold  in  death,  which  I  had  seen  but  a  few 
moments  before  warm  with  affectionate  life?  No;  I 
should  fail  in  such  an  attempt.  But  others,  many 
others,  shared  in  these  painful  emotions.  Friends,  kind 
and  true,  the  members  of  his  society,  his  neighbors,  cit 
izens  of  Concord,  of  all  sects,  hurried  to  that  house  of 
grief,  to  express  their  sympathy  and  proffer  their  aid. 
All  was  done  that  regard  for  a  faithful  pastor,  and  respect 
for  a  noble  and  esteemed  neighbor  and  citizen,  could 
accomplish."  He  died  upon  his  birth-day,  having  com 
pleted  fifty-eight  years  of  his  earthly  pilgrimage.  The 
completeness  of  the  years  of  his  life  was  in  unison  with 
that  of  his  character  as  a  true  man,  a  faithful  servant 
of  his  God  and  of  his  race.  He  had  finished  the  work 
given  him  to  do.  "  Seldom,"  says  one  of  the  secular  pa 
pers  of  Concord,  "  has  any  event  made  a  sadder  or  deeper 
impression  in«our  community.  Mr.  Moore  had  resided 


304  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

in  this  city  about  five  years,  during  which  his  urbane 
manners,  Christian  deportment,  and  sympathy  for  every 
good  cause,  had  gained  him  many  warm  friends,  and  left 
him  no  enemies.  He  was  beloved  by  his  own  society, 
and  respected  by  all.  A  whole  community  mourn  his 
departure  from  among  them." 

The  funeral  services  took  place  in  the  First  Baptist 
Church,  the  largest  house  of  worship  in  the  city,  the  use 
of  which  was  kindly  granted  his  numerous  friends.  The 
church  was  thronged,  and  although  the  day  was  one  of 
the  most  severely  cold  of  the  season  (the  thermometer 
being  twenty  degrees  below  zero),  hundreds  of  persons 
were  unable  to  gain  admittance  to  the  house.  Prayer  was 
offered  at  the  dwelling-house,  before  the  corpse  was  re 
moved,  by  Rev.  Sylvanus  Cobb,  of  Boston,  when  the  pro 
cession  moved  to  the  church.  The  services  there  were  as 
follows  :  Voluntary,  by  the  choir ;  Beading  of  Scriptures, 
and  Prayer,  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Fay  ;  Hymn,  selected ;  Ser 
mon,  by  Rev.  Sylvanus  Cobb  ;  Hymn,  original,  by  Rev. 
C.  H.  Fay: 

God  will  indulge  the  tears  we  weep,    , 
For  He  our  hearts  has  smitten  deep  ; 
A  noble  soul  from  earth  has  fled, 
A  manly  form  lies  cold  and  dead. 

With  anguished  hearts  we  gather  here, 
Low  bending  round  this  solemn  bier  ; 
We  mourn  a  faithful  Pastor's  loss, 
A  dauntless  Soldier  of  the  Cross. 


HIS  DEATH.  305 

Death  found  him  in  the  battle  van, 
Brave  striving  for  the  weal  of  man  ; 
With  armor  strong,  and  burnished  bright, 
A  noted  warrior  midst  the  fight. 

He  fell  at  Duty's  sacred  stand  ; 
The  Spirit's  sword  was  in  his  hand, 
Sandals  of  peace  upon  his  feet, 
And  righteousness  his  breastplate  meet. 

His  warfare  now  is  o'er  :  and  rest 
Awaits  him  with  the  pure  and  blest. 
For  Sin,  the  foe,  was  never  known, 
Nor  Error,  round  God's  shining  throne. 

Great  Shepherd,  take  him  to  Thy  side, 
He  loved  the  race  for  which  Thou  died  ; 
And  when  our  mortal  years  are  told, 
0  bear  us  to  the  same  safe  fold  ! 

The  sermon  was  able,  appropriate,  earnest,  and  abound 
ing  in  Christian  consolation.  The  preacher's  text  was.: 
"  But  even  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  num 
bered." — Luke  12  :  7.  After  discoursing  upon  the  pater 
nal  providence,  general  and  particular,  which  upholds  all 
things,  grants  to  mortals  its  unfailing  supplies,  and  gives 
assurance  that  under  the  divine  government  good  will  be 
triumphant,  and  all  souls  share  in  the  blessings  of  its 
reign,  the  speaker  says  : 

"  The  train  of  thought  which  I  have  thus  presented  to 
the  great  congregation  is  that  which  was  suggested  to 
my  own  mind  by  the  occasion  which  has  called  us 
together  here  to-day.  On  Monday  evening  last,  as  I  was 
about  closing  the  editorial  labors  of  the  day,  I  received 
26* 


306  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

the  mournful  tidings,  by  brief  telegraphic  announcement 
of  the  sudden  death  of  brother  John  Moore.  I  wrote  a 
brief  announcement  of  the  same  for  my  journal,  which 
was  about  going  to  press,  and  was  wending  my  way  home 
in  melancholy  musing.  I  was  met  by  an  express  mes 
senger,  with  a  request  from  the  family  and  friends  of  the 
deceased  that  I  should  be  present  here  to-day,  to  offer 
consolation  to  the  bereaved.  I  went  to  my  home,  and, 
sitting  in  retirement,  oppressed  in  spirit,  my  laboring 
heart  exclaimed,  '  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ? ' 
Bearing  in  sympathy  the  wants  of  the  afflicted,  I  went  to 
the  word  of  inspiration  for  relief,  and  opened  to  the 
teaching  of  the  Master,  which  saith  of  the  care  of  our 
Father  in  heaven,  '  The  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all 
numbered.'  I  saw  in  this  utterance  an  embodiment  of 
the  whole  grand  system  of  Christian  trust,  and  my  soul 
entered  into  rest.  And  I  desired  to  be  obedient  to  the 
apostolic  injunction,  that  l  we  should  comfort  them  who 
are  in  any  trouble,  with  the  same  consolation  wherewith 
we  ourselves  are  comforted  of  God.'  ' 

After  recurring  to  some  of  the  main  events  in  the  his 
tory  of  the  deceased,  he  observes  ; 

"  Thus  has  retired  from  his  earthly  mission  (and  that 
not  all  of  earth)  a  man  whom  we  all  loved  and  revered. 
If  his  already  developed  spiritual  person  is  now  observing 
me,  he  would  not  that  I  should  say  he  was  faultless. 
Yet  I  feel  that  I  speak  the  heart  sentiment  of  all  who  knew 
him  well,  when  I  say  that  a  more  perfect  man,  under 
Jesus,  never  lived  upon  the  earth.  Full  of  truth  and 


HIS   DEATH.  307 

reverence  for  God,  and  love  for  men ;  strong,  zealous  for 
the  advancement  of  truth  and  goodness  ;  sincere,  candid, 
beneficent,  forbearing,  faithful;  free  from  all  little 
envies,  loving  to  see  all  work  and  all  prosper  ;  his  moral 
abode  was  the  munition  of  rocks,  his  light  went  forth  as 
the  morning,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  was  his  rearward  ; 
his  life  was  a  well-spring  of  water,  whose  waters  fail 
not.  We,  the  whole  religious  body  to  which  he  belonged, 
deeply  mourn  his  loss.  And  yet  he  is  not  lost  to  us. 
He  is  ours,  and  we  are  his.  He  yet  speaketh.  We  will 
cherish  his  memory,  as  an  example  to  the  Christian  min 
istry  and  to  the  Christian  church." 

At  the  close  of  the  customary  funeral  service,  the  re 
mains  were  consigned,  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Fay,  to  the  care  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity  present.  The  solemn  service  of 
this  fraternity  was  then  performed,  as  were  also  the  brief 
burial  rites  of  the  Odd  Fellows.  The  services  were 
closed  with  prayer  by  Rev.  Mr.  Kelley,  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Moore,  at  the  time  of  his  decease,  was  Master  of 
the  Blazing  Star  Lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
and  member  of  the  White  Mountain  Lodge,  I.  0.  of  0. 
F.  Of  the  funeral  occasion,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fay  afterwards 
said,  in  a  discourse  to  his  people :  "  As  I  surveyed  the 
multitude  which  thronged  the  capacious  church,  of  all 
sects  and  parties,  I  felt  that  the  '  noble  sleeper '  resting 
on  his  bier  before  the  altar  had  accomplished  a  great 
work.  He  had  wrought  upon  human  hearts.  His  work 
was  in  immortal  souls,  and  will  last  long  after  the  great 


308  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

material  achievements  of  our  age  are  forgotten.  He  has 
bequeathed  a  richer  legacy  to  mankind  than  the  rich  can 
bestow.  Childhood  and  manhood  mingled  tears  around 
his  bier,  in  testimony  of  their  love  for  one  who  had  made 
them  better,  and  whose  influence  would  affect  them  for 
good  when  the  cold,  coffined  form  had  turned  to  ashes." 

The  editor  of  the  Morning  Chronicle,  published  at 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  who  was  present  on  the  occasion, 
writes:  "  The  deceased  was  a  man  of  ample  mould  and 
majestic  proportions  in  person  as  well  as  mind ;  and  was 
hahjted  in  his  coffin  exactly  as  in  the  pulpit,  in  a  full 
suit  of  black.  In  this  manner,  with  the  coffin-lid  re 
moved,  appearing  almost  lifelike,  he  was  viewed  by  the 
Sabbath  scholars  and  teachers,  congregation  and  Free 
masons  ;  the  latter  being  in  large  numbers,  and  deposit 
ing  their  emblematic  evergreens.  This  silent,  solemn 
show  was  by  no  means  unimpressive ;  and  at  its  close 
the  earthly  remains  of  a  noble  man  were  borne  away 
towards  their  lowly  resting-place."  This  resting-place 
was  in  Lebanon,  N.  H.,  by  the  side  of  the  ashes  of  a 
dear  son,  who  died  during  the  first  residence  of  the  family 
in  that  town,  —  a  selection  which  he  had  made  long 
before  his  death. 

The  society  in  Concord  of  which  Mr.  Moore  was  pas 
tor  unanimously  expressed  their  respect  and  esteem  for 
the  departed,  and  their  sympathy  for  his  bereaved 
family  : 

u  Whereas,  it  has  pleased  the  Almighty  Dispenser  of 


HIS   DEATH.  309: 

events  to  suddenly  remove  the  Pastor  of  this  Church  and 
Society,  Rev.  John  Moore,  therefore, 

"  Resolved,  That,  although  we  deeply  mourn  the  loss  of 
our  beloved  pastor,  yet  we  have  strong  faith  that  Al 
mighty  God  doeth  all  things  well ;  and,  while  we  cherish 
his  memory,  may  we  imitate  his  virtues,  enjoy  his  strong 
faith,  and  leave  as  bright  an  example  behind  us. 

"  Resolved,  That  this  society  and  congregation  sym 
pathize  with  the  widow  of  our  late  pastor,  Rev.  John 
Moore,  in  her  sudden  bereavement  and  irreparable  loss  ; 
and  unitedly  pray  that  she  may  be  sustained  in  this,  and 
all  other  trials,  by  that  God  in  whom  we  all  trust. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  First  Baptist  Society  in  Con 
cord,  in  opening  their  house  for  the  funeral  services  of 
our  late  pastor,  thereby  proving  that  they  sympathized 
with  us  in  our  bereavement,  are  entitled  to  our  united 
and  heartfelt  thanks. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  society  be  ten 
dered  to  the  friends  at  Lebanon  for  their  kindness  to  the 
committee  of  this  society  on  the  occasion  of  the  funeral 
of  our  late  pastor. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  foregoing  be  placed  upon  the 
records  of  this  society,  "and  copies  sent  to  the  family  of 
the  deceased,  to  the  First  Baptist  Society,  and  to  the 
friends  at  Lebanon.  J.  B.  SMART,  Clerk." 

Discourses  in  memory  of  him  were  delivered  in  various 
churches  where  his  name  had  long  been  held  in  high 
esteem. 


310  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

The  following  epitaph,  prepared  by  Mr.  Moore  some 
time  previous  to  his  decease,  is  upon  the  monument  at 
Lebanon : 

JOHN    MOORE, 

PBEACHEB  OF  THE  EVERLASTING  GOSPEL: 

Born  in  Strafford,  Vt.,  Feb.  5,  1797  ; 
Died  in  Concord,  N.  H.,  Feb.  5, 1855  ; 

AGED    58. 

"  As  in  Adam  all  die, 
Even  »o  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

PERSONAL  AND    PROFESSIONAL   CHARACTER.  —  TESTIMO 
NIALS. 

Now  that  we  have  recorded  the  departure  of  the  wor 
thy  man  and  minister  whose  memoir  is  given  in  the  pre 
ceding  pages,  it  is  a  privilege  which  we  would  wisely 
improve,  to  speak  of  him  as  he  was  when  in  the  body,  and 
"about  his  Father's  business  "  with  his  fellow-men;  to 
dwell  somewhat  more  specially  upon  his  character  than 
we  have  during  the  narrative  portion  of  this  work,  that 
we  may  the  more  clearly  see  how  really  and  impressively 
he  is  living  on  still,  for  the  guidance  and  blessing  of 
others  in  his  Christian  words  and  deeds. 

In  person  Mr.  Moore  was  very  nearly  what  might  be 
termed  "a  model  man."  His  form  was  ample  and 
finely  proportioned,  and  there  was  a  natural  dignity  in 
his  appearance  which  made  him  notable  wherever  seen  or 
known.  His  face  was  an  indicator  of  his  soul, —  beauty, 
truthfulness,  firmness,  goodness,  Christian  nobility,  had 
each  set  its  seal  there. 


312  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

He  had  a  clear  and  strong  intellect ;  was  a  plain  and 
sound  reasoner,  and  gained  the  confidence  of  his  fellow- 
men  by  his  excellent  "common  sense."  He  had,  more 
over,  a  large  and  generous  heart,  by  which  he  was  made 
•  an  effectual  preacher  to  their  affections.  He  caused  them 
to  feel  that  which  was  to  him  a  matter  of  most  absorbing 
interest.  His  social  qualities,  also,  were  remarkable. 
He  was  living  for  others  as  well  as  for  himself,  always ; 
and  could  ever  respond  to  the  pathetic  question  of  the 
poet: 

"0,  who  would  inhabit 
This  bleak  world  alone?  " 

He  felt  that  he  was  kindred  to  others ;  that  he  could  not 
do  without  them,  nor  they  without  him,  while  God  had 
any  good  in  either  for  mutual  communication. 

As  a  public  advocate  of  Christianity  Mr.  Moore  earned 
a  noble  reputation.  He  went  into  the  ministry  to  answer 
a  true  call,  as  it  seemed  to  him, —  that  of  God  and  his 
everlasting  word.  His  ministry  was  one  of  the  heart  and 
soul.  His  pulpit  work  was  done  in  great  plainness,  and 
usually  with  great  propriety  of  speech.  If  he  was  not 
one  of  the  most  brilliant,  he  was  one  of  the  soundest  and 
most  agreeable  speakers  of  the  day.  His  manner  was 
easy  and  graceful;  his  voice,  rich,  full,  and  melodious. 
"His  very  appearance,"  as  another  has  said,  "put  him 
in  sympathy,  at  the  outset,  with  whatever  was  good  and 
generous  in  his  auditors ;  and  he  won  them  over  to  his 
views  as  well  through  their  affections  as  through  their 


PERSONAL  AND   PROFESSIONAL  CHARACTER.      313 

intellect."  In  the  beginning  of  his  ministry  he  preached 
much  extempore,  and  all  through  his  life  practised  this 
method  more  or  less  —  speaking  from  brief  notes.  Yet 
many  of  his  sermons  were  written  out,  and,  although  well 
delivered,  tended  in  some  measure  to  lessen  his  freedom 
in  the  utterance  of  them.  He  would,  however,  frequently 
depart  from  the  track  which  the  pen  had  marked  out, 
and,  in  the  fresh  excitement  of  the  occasion,  make  his 
discourse  much  longer  than  he  had  intended  in  the  begin 
ning. 

He  was  admirably  "at  home"  in  the  pulpit,  and  was 
well  calculated  by  his  presence  and  sympathy  to  make 
others  so.  He  could  be  self-possessed  under  circum 
stances  that  might  embarrass  others.  We  remember  an 
instance  in  illustration  of  this.  It  was  at  a  conference  in 
Dorchester,  N.  H.  The  meeting  was  quite  well  attended, 
although  in  the  midst  of  winter ;  and  mothers  who  could 
not  leave  their  little  ones  at  home  brought  them  to 
the  meeting.  During  service-time  one  of  the  children 
gave  some  demonstrations  of  a  strong  voice,  which  quite 
annoyed  the  speaker,  a  young  man ;  so  that,  after 
enduring  the  opposition  voice  a  while,  he  stopped  short, 
and  expressed  his  desire  that  the  child-speaker  might 
somehow  be  still.  Mr.  Moore  arose  behind  him  in 
the  pulpit,  and  very  pleasantly  said :  "  Speak  on, 
brother,  with  all  your  heart,  and  pay  no  attention  to  the 
child.  It  cannot  be  taken  away  now,  and  you  will  have 
a  hearing;  depend  on  that!"  The  preacher  continued 
27 


314  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

with  more  composure,  and  soon  had  the  talking  all  to 
himself. 

Mr.  Moore  was  a  doctrinal  and  practical  preacher. 
Although  somewhat  given  to  expository  preaching,  his 
treatment  of  those  who  held  religious  opinions  opposite 
to  his  own  was  in  all  Christian  courtesy  and  kindness. 
He  had  no  disposition  to  say  the  hardest,  but  rather  the 
most  truthful  things  of  the  errorist's  opinions,  and  at  the 
same  time  in  the  most  charitable  spirit  towards  the  error- 
ist  himself.  His  discourses,  always  good,  and  usually 
regarded  as  highly  acceptable,  were  sometimes  pervaded 
with  great  power.  "I  have  heard  John  Moore,"  said 
one  of  our  wisest  and  best  ministers,  ' '  when  I  thought  I 
had  never  heard  any  man  excel  him  ;  when  his  soul  was 
filled  with  the  inspiration  of  truth,  and  of  the  occasion 
which  called  him  to  speak  it,  and  the  thoughts  and  words 
that  came  from  him  were  like  the  rushing  torrent,  bearing 
all  before  them."  , 

As  a  Christian  missionary  he  was  one  of  the  most  ac 
ceptable  and  useful.  He  knew  human  nature,  and  could 
well  and  easily  adapt  himself  to  all  phases  of  it  which  a 
Christian  missionary  must  meet.  His  advocacy  of  his 
faith  in  new  places,  where  it  was  not  much  known,  was 
always  in  its  favor.  If  those  who  heard  his  message 
could  not  receive  it  at  once,  they  had  good  evidence  of 
the  honesty  and  ability  and  candor  of  the  preacher.  His 
occasional  ministry  in  the  vicinity  of  the  societies  with 
whom  he  was  settled,  especially  in  many  parts  of  Ver 
mont  and  New  Hampshire,  accomplished  great  good  for 


PERSONAL  AND    PROFESSIONAL   CHARACTER.      315 

the  Christian  cause.  Indeed,  in  these  two  states  his  name 
is  closely  identified  with  the  history  of  Universalism  there 
for  the  last  twenty  years. 

As  a  pastor  he  was  one  of  the  most  acceptable  and 
beloved  of  any  in  the  denomination,  and  we  might  add, 
in  any  Christian  society.  Easy  and  agreeable  in  manner, 
and  perfectly  accessible  to  every  one,  he  was  a  welcome 
visitor  always  amongst  his  people.  They  loved  to  behold 
his  genial  countenance  ;  to  listen  to  the  words  of  kindly 
greeting,  good  cheer,  or  of  friendly  counsel  and  consol 
atory  aid,  coming  from  his  lips ;  and  not  from  his  lips 
only,  but  welling  up  from  his  full  heart.  How  many 
families,  how  many  souls,  remember  him,  not  only  as  the 
worthy  minister,  but  as  the  cheerful,  sympathetic  friend ! 
How  many  —  as,  in  thinking  of  his  social  intercourse  with 
them  in  the  past,  they  mourn  his  departure  —  can  say, 
as  David  so  tenderly  said  of  his  beloved  Jonathan,  "  I  am 
distressed  for  thee,  my  brother ;  very  pleasant  hast  thou 
been  unto  me." 

"I  knew  him  well  and  loved  him  much,"  writes  one 
to  whom  he  had  been  a  pastor  in  other  days.  "  He  was  a 
friend  as  well  as  a  pastor  in  our  family ;  and  my  father, 
and  my  dear  mother,  who  went  before  him  to  '  the  better 
land,'  held  him  in  high  esteem.  We  were  neighbors, 
and  accustomed  to  seeing  him  every  day  at  his  own  house 
or  ours.  Many  a  pleasant  season  did  I  pass  with  him  in 
his  neat  and  orderly  dwelling,  where  all  his  friends  were 
kindly  received  and  hospitably  entertained.  Well  do  I 
remember  the  welcome  smile,  the  friendly  grasp  of  the 


316  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

hand,  the  genial  humor,  the  ready  sympathy,  and  social 
enjoyment,  always  to  be  found  in  his  society.  He  was  a 
delightful  companion,  a  true  friend,  a  good  pastor,  a  good 
man.  What  more  can  I  say  of  him  ?  What  else  could  I 
add  to  this  heartfelt  testimony  of  his  worth  ?  "  * 

He  was  eminently  a  man  of  the  people ;  and  the  Chris 
tian  pastor  who  is  not,  is  out  of  his  place.  An  anecdote, 
illustrative  of  this  trait  in  his  character,  is  told  of  a  col 
ored  man,  a  servant  in  one  of  the  families  at  whose  home 
Mr.  Moore  was  a  frequent  visitor,  and  where  he  was  on 
easy  and  familiar  terms  with  all  the  inmates.  A  dialogue 
ensued  between  the  colored  man  and  another  of  the  fam 
ily,  as  to  the  relative  merits  of  two  ministers, —  Mr. 

Moore  and  Mr. .     The  servant-man  was  asked  his 

opinion  of  them.  "Both  good  men  —  very  good  men, 
both,"  was  his  answer.  "But  which  do  you  think  the 
best  ?  ' '  was  the  next  question  proposed.  ' '  Like  them 
both  —  both  very  good  men,  excellent  men,"  replied  he. 
"  But  have  n't  you  a  choice?  "  persisted  the  questioner; 
"which  of  the  two  do  you  like  best  in  everything?" 
"  Well  — well,"  said  the  servant,  "  if  I  make  any  pref- 
rence,  I  say  —  Mr.  Moore  seem  always  rather  most  like 
our  folks !  "  That  was  it.  He  was  at  home  in  all 
places  where  the  just  callings  of  life  brought  him.  He 
was  "  our  folks"  with  the  humble  or  exalted,  the  rich  or 
poor,  the  renowned  or  obscure.  To  be  "our  folks"  in 
this  wise  .is  no  small  trouble  to  some  persons,  even  those 

*  Miss  M.  A.  Dodd. 


PERSONAL  AND   PROFESSIONAL   CHARACTER.      317 

of  the  highest  attainments  in  other  respects.  It  was  one 
of  the  easiest  of  things  with  Mr.  Moore.  Equally  at 
home  with  all  in  his  pastoral  intercourse,  he  never  failed, 
in  his  habitual  freedom,  to  leave  a  favorable  impression 
of  himself,  as  one  who  had  honored  his  calling,  upon  the 
minds  of  the  people. 

He  had  a  deeply  religious  spirit.  His  inner  life  was 
his  best  life.  It  was  the  fountain  from  which  hia  life 
with  the  world  flowed;  and  the  stream  was  pervaded  with 
the  richness  of  the  spring.  Ingenuous  as  was  his  reli 
giousness,  the  world  did  not  see  the  most  of  it.  The  say 
ing  of  Francis  Quarles  he  could  well  appreciate  :  "I  am 
to  God;  I  only  seem  to  man."  He  knew  much  of  the 
best  meaning  of  the  Psalmist's  words  :  "  My  soul,  wait 
thou  only  upon  God ;  for  my  expectation  is  from  Him.  He 
only  is  my  rock  and  my  salvation ;  "  and  of  that  promise 
of  the  Christian  Master.  "  If  a  man  love  me  he  will  keep 
my  word ;  and  my  Father  will  love  him,  and  we  will 
come  unto  him,  and  make  our  abode  with  him."  His 
inner  experience  was  like  that  to  which  John  Howe  ex 
horts  :  ' '  Let  us  more  study  the  exercising  ourselves  to 
godliness,  and  take  heed  of  turning  the  religion  of  our 
closets  into  spiritless,  uncomfortable  formalities.  Their 
hearts  shall  live  that  seek  God."  It  was  this  life  of  the 
heart  which  he  sought  and  found.  The  kingdom  within 
was  to  him  of  the  first  consequence,  and  that  was  greater 
than  all  else.  It  made  him  sincere,  fervent,  and  strong, 
in  his  communications  to  others.  It  gave  him  constant 
growth  in  spirituality.  It  confirmed  him  in  faith  and 
27* 


318  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOOEE. 

hope,  and  rooted  and  grounded  him  in  Christian  love. 
It  rendered  him  a  safe  preacher  and  counsellor,  a  reliable 
guide  in  his  own  sect.  It  sanctified  him  in  a  charity 
such  as  knew  well  how  to  respond  to  Wesley's  saying : 
"  I  ask  not,  therefore,  of  him  with  whom  I  would  unite 
in  love,  Are  you  of  my  church  ?  of  my  congregation  ? 
Do  you  receive  the  same  form  of  church  government  and 
allow  the  same  church  officers  with  me  ?  Do  you  join  in 
the  same  prayer  wherein  I  worship  God  ?  receive  the 
supper  of  the  Lord  in  the  same  posture  and  manner  as  I 
do  ?  agree  with  me  in  the  administration  of  baptism  ? 
Nay,  I  ask  not  of  you  (as  clear  as  I  am  in  my  own  mind) 
whether  you  allow  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  at  all. 
Let  all  these  things  stand  by ;  we  will  talk  of  them,  if 
need  be,  at  a  more  convenient  season.  My  only  question 
at  present  is,  Is  thy  heart  right  as  my  heart  is  with 
thy  heart  ?  If  it  be,  give  me  thy  hand." 

Those  nearest  him,  and  who  best  knew  him,  can  testify 
to  this  principle  and  habit  of  his  life.  The  pages  of  his 
private  journal  are  beautified  with  his  simple  and  com 
prehensive  praises  and  prayers.  His  birth  and  marriage 
days,  the  beginning  and  ending  of  weeks  and  years,  are 
consecrated  by  heavenly  communings.  His  life  was  filled 
with  great  occasions,  because  all  occasions  of  true  life 
were  great  to  him ;  great  from  their  relations,  not  to  the 
earthly  and  transient  only,  but  to  the  heavenly  and  eter 
nal.  "He  was  the  best-tempered  man,"  writes  another, 
"that  we  ever  knew.  We  never  saw  him  angry,  we 
never  saw  him  dispirited.  Always  cheerful,  always 


PERSONAL   AND    PROFESSIONAL   CHARACTER.       319 

tranquil,  Sundays  and  other  days,  at  home  and  abroad ; 
with  a  heart  full  of  gentleness  and  love,  his  presence  was 
everywhere  a  sunshine  and  a  blessing." 

He  had  firmness  that  could  endure  much  trial,  and  yet 
tenderness  like  that  of  the  child.  His  sense  of  right,  of 
justice,  no  special  pleadings  in  an  opposite  -direction 
could  for  a  moment  affect.  We  remember  an  occasion 
when,  after  a  case  of  very  afflictive  trial  and  judgment  in 
council,  an  attempt  was  made,  by  a  few  compassionate 
friends,  to  admit  to  fellowship  again  the  offending  brother. 
The  members  of  the  assembly  before  whom  this  request 
came  were  for  some  time  engaged  in  a  discussion  of  the 
subject,  when,  at  last,  wearied  with  the  waste  of  words, 
and  seeing  the  end  of  the  matter  from  the  beginning,  he 
arose  and  asked  the  attention  of  his  brethren  for  a  short 
time.  His  speech,  of  twenty  minutes  or  more,  was  so 
accurate  in  its  statements  of  the  whole  case,  so  candid, 
so  clear,  and  so  completely  overwhelming,  that  it  ended 
all  further  debate  on  the  subject.  The  appeal  for  the 
renewal  of  fellowship  ceased. 

In  all  his  reproofs  of  what  he  deemed  sinful  and  wrong 
he  was  one  of  the  most  faithful  of  men.  There  was  no 
harshness  in  his  admonitions  or  corrections,  but  a  firm 
ness,  conscientiousness,  and  evident  adherence  to  duty, 
that  would  be  quite  likely  to  find  its  way  home  to  those 
for  whom  his  words  were  intended. 

"  When,"  says  a  popular  writer,  "you  call  any  one  a 
man  of  substance,  tell  me  what  his  soul  weighs.  What 
is  his  force  of  character,  by  his  large  culture,  affection, 


320  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

or  energy  ?  How  much  has  he  of  the  great  elements  of 
humanity?  Noble  qualities  of  soul  are  the  most  sub 
stantial  possessions.  In  the  assize  of  heaven  our  per 
sonal  property  is  estimated  as  our  real  estate."  By  this 
rule,  Mr.  Moore  would  have  stood  a  safe  trial.  He  had 
great  qualities  of  soul ;  to  use  Sir  Philip  Sidney's  de 
scription  of  another,  "high-erected  thought,  seated  in  a 
heart  of  courtesy."  Blest 


in  a  general  honest  thought 


And  common  good  to  all, 

His  life  was  gentle  ;  and  the  elements 

So  mixed  in  him,  that  Nature  might  stand  up 

And  say  to  all  the  world,  This  was  a  MAN  !  " 

His  true  greatness  and  life  were  in  this  manhood.  No 
station  in  which  he  moved  could  add  to  that ;  but  that 
made  him  what  he  was,  in  all  stations.  His  fellow-citi 
zens  sought  to  confer  upon  him  the  highest  office  in  their 
political  power  to  bestow.  The  office  could  have  brought 
no  additional  honor  to  him ;  he  would  have  brought 
honor  to  that. 

Having  thus  freely  given  our  own  views  of  the  man  and 
the  minister,  we  take  pleasure  in  presenting  the  opinions 
of  others  who  knew  him  well,  who  honored  his  charac 
ter,  and  whose  testimonies  are  the  common  property  of 
the  friends  of  the  departed  brother,  and  of  the  Christian 
public. 

Rev.  William  S.  Balch,  pastor  of  the  Bleecker-street 
Universalist  church  in  New  York  city,  who  was  an  inti- 


321 


mate  friend  of  Mr.  Moore  through  his  whole  ministry, 
thus  writes : 

"  To  say  that  brother  Moore  was  a  good  MAN,  modest, 
truthful,  earnest,  reliable,  of  stout  and  pure  heart, 
always  active  unto  every  good  word  and  work,  is  but  to 
repeat  what  everybody  has  said  of  him  who  knew  him 
well.  His  words  and  his  works  never  left  any  other 
impression, 

"  But  of  him  as  a  minister  I  have  a  word  to  say.  In 
his  professional  character  he  did  not  rise  into  the  high 
rank  of  public  estimation  as  a  speaker  to  which  some  of 
his  brethren  have  attained.  I  do  not  think  he  ever  as 
pired  to 'it;  for  he  ever  esteemed  the  good  above  the 
great.  It  was  not  an  element  of  his  character  to  heed 
blindly  the  goadings  of  ambition,  except  to  excel  in  posi 
tive  goodness  ;  and  his  sermons  usually  partook  of  that 
predominant  quality  of  his  nature.  I  have  often  heard 
him  say  that  he  thought  every  sermon  should  set  forth 
some  truth,  or  breathe  some  sentiment,  which  would  tend 
to  make  men  better  and  happier,  whether  the  careless 
admired  it  or  not. 

"But  as  a  preacher  —  a  speaker,  merely  —  he  was 
by  many,  if  not  by  current  popular  opinion,  underrated. 
He  was  a  clear,  distinct,  and  comprehensive  reasoner; 
not,  perhaps,  so  profound  in  logic,  nor  so  polished  in 
rhetoric,  as  some  amongst  us ;  but  whatever  he  said  was 
well  said ;  and,  for  excellent  spirit  and  tone  of  expression, 
none  ever  excelled  him.  His  sermons  were  always  inter 
esting,  instructive,  and  profitable.  Nobody  ever  left  the 


322  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

church  when  he  officiated  without  a  better  heart  and 
brighter  hopes,  edified  and  comforted  by  what  he  said. 
And,  after  all,  is  not  that  the  true  work  of  the  Christian 
ministry  ?  There  was  a  seriousness,  an  earnestness,  an 
unction,  in  all  he  said,  that  inspired  confidence,  and  gave 
an  abiding  force  to  all  his  public  labors. 

"And,  then,  his  whole  life,  at  home  and  abroad,  in  public 
and  in  private,  was  a  witness  of  the  purity  of  his  heart, 
and  the  deep  sincerity  of  all  his  labors.  Everywhere  he 
breathed  the  spirit  of  Christian  beneficence  ;  and  vice,  and 
envy,  and  pride,  and  unkindness,  stood  rebuked  in  his  pres 
ence.  Everybody  believed  him  an  honest  man,  and  a  true 
Christian,  however  deep  he  might  be  in  theological  error. 
He  was  a  man  of  broad  charity,  and,  though  always 
calm  and  easy,  he  was  active  in  applying  its  sublime 
principles  to  the  necessities  of  mankind.  He  was  not  a 
lazy  preacher,  but  always  ready  to  do  his  part  in  what 
ever  needed  to  be  done.  And  he  was  a  plain,  out-spoken 
man,  never  afraid  to  tell  another  of  his  faults,  or  to  lend 
a  hand  to  sustain  and  defend  an  injured  brother  from  the 
malice  of  envious  and  wicked  men.  In  short,  we  can 
boast  of  few  in  our  ministry  who  are.  or  were,  his  equals, 
as  a  good  Christian  and  faithful  preacher ;  and  no  denom 
ination  has  his  superior." 

Another  clear  and  faithful  statement  of  the  character 
of  our  brother  is  thus  given  by  Rev.  Moses  Ballou,  of 
Hartford,  Ct.  : 

"  I  am  pleased  that  you  are  preparing  a  memoir  of  our 
late  excellent  brother,  Rev.  John  Moore.  Few  knew  him 


PERSONAL  AND  PROFESSIONAL   CHARACTER.       323 

better,  or  can  more  fully  appreciate  the  peculiarities  of 
his  character,  than  yourself.  You  ask  for  my  opinion  of 
him,  and  I  will  try  to  give  it  in  a  few  words.  I  think 
that  my  personal  acquaintance  with  him  commenced 
about  twenty-one  years  ago.  From  that  period,  until 
the  time  of  his  death,  I  enjoyed  his  intimate  friendship, 
and  cherished  for  him  a  deep  and  warm  regard.  His 
more  prominent  traits,  as  he  was  presented  to  my  mind, 
were  : 

"1.  An  eminently  devout  spirit. —  The  whole  tone 
and  complexion  of  his  life  were  religious.  His  reverent 
feelings  were  not  made  up  for  an  occasion,  nor  did  he 
have  to  resort  to  some  spiritual  gymnastics  to  infuse  a 
warmth  into  his  devotions.  His  fervor  was  easy  and 
natural ;  and,  although  not  boisterous,  yet  it  never  lacked 
vitality.  He  was  made  for  a  minister  of  the  Gospel. 
No  one  could  be  long  with  him  and  fail  to  see  this. 
And  I  believe  that  more  of  his  thoughts  were  given  to 
God  and  to  religion  than  is  common  even  among  our 
best  men.  His  soul  seemed  to  have  been  baptized  into 
the  spirit  of  his  Master,  and  to  feel  as  did  the  apostle 
when  he  said,  '  Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not  the  Gospel.' 
Embracing,  as  he  did,  in  early  life,  a  view  of  Christian 
ity  which  fully  accorded  with  his  reason  and  the  best 
impulses  of  his  heart,  his  naturally  devout  feelings  were 
quickened,  and  his  zeal  endowed  with  a  uniform  life  and 
activity. 

"  2.  An  unwavering  faith. —  Perhaps  the  bent  of  his 
mind  was  not  sufficiently  speculative  to  suggest  doubts 


324          MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

readily ;  and  perhaps  he  might  have  had  his  troubles  from 
this  source,  and  kept  them  to  himself.  At  any  rate,  I 
cannot  recall  an  instance  now  in  which  he  ever  referred 
to  anything  of  this  kind ;  and  certainly  his  uniform  serene 
cheerfulness 'and  buoyant  hopefulness,  even  in  circum 
stances  of  great  trial,  show  a  deep  ,and  abiding  faith  in 
God,  and  in  his  good  government.  A  quaint  but 
favorite  expression  which  he  used  sometimes,  when  things 
did  not  appear  to  go  right,  was,  '  Well,  there  is  as 
much  down-hill  as  up-hill  in  the  path  of  life,  besides 
all  the  level  ground? 

"  3.  He  loved  the  doctrine  he  preached. —  The  cause 
of  Universalism  was  very  dear  to  his  heart.  It  not  only 
answered  to  his  own  benevolent  feelings,  but  he  believed 
that  it  had  great  moral  power.  He  regarded  it,  indeed, 
as  the  world's  last  hope.  He  was,  in  the  best  sense  of 
the  term,  a  sectarian ;  just  as  every  good  man  must  be. 
But  he  was  no  bigot.  He  was  no  hater  of  other  sects. 
He  seldom  used  language  about  them  which  was  tinged 
with  severity.  No ;  he  loved  them  all,  heartily,  though 
he  loved  his  own  still  better.  He  was  not  even  what  is 
generally  termed  a  doctrinal  preacher,  though  no  one 
could  hear  him,  at  any  time,  and  question  his  distinctive 
faith. 

"  4.  He  had  a  high  sense  of  the  responsibilities 
and  duties  of  the  ministerial  office. —  Constituted  and 
trained  as  he  was,  he  could  not  regard  it  as  a  business 
occupation  merely.  It  was  the  highest  post  of  duty.  It 
had  a  sacred  character  in  his  eyes.  And  though  he  was 


PERSONAL   AND    PROFESSIONAL    CHARACTER.        325 

brimming  full  of  social  feeling  and  cheerful  humor,  gush 
ing  out  with  it  on  every  proper  occasion,  still  he  never 
seemed  to  forget  the  dignity  of  his  office,  or  the  im 
portance  of  keeping  it  unsullied.  His  sensitiveness  was 
so  great  in  this  respect,  that  nothing  pained  him  more 
than  to  see  any  of  his  ministering  brethren  reckless  in 
their  language  or  deportment,  or  in  any  way  degrading 
their  ministerial  character.  About  the  only  instances  in 
which  I  can  remember  that  he  gave  way  to  feelings  of 
indignation,  were  those  of  this  kind.  He  was  foremost  in 
enforcing  a  wholesome  discipline,  and  the.  first  to  forgive 
and  plead  for  an  erring  brother,  on  the  slightest  mani 
festation  of  penitence.  He  had  a  great,  warm  heart, 
with  an  active  conscience,  and  a  high  sense  of  duty. 

"  As  a  preacher,  he  was  not  brilliant,  or  very  popular 
with  the  masses;  but  he  was  more  than  this  —  he  was  a 
good  and  profitable  man  in  that  position,  making  all  who 
heard  him  better  and  happier  for  it.  There  was  so  little 
said  for  effect,  so  little  made  up,  or  put  on,  and  so  much 
that  was  sincere,  ardent,  and  truthful,  uttered  in  a  kind 
and  winning  spirit,  that  I  think  his  labors  accomplished 
more  for  Christ  than  those  of  many  others,  who  have  far 
more  captivating  talents.  He  was  deeply  beloved  by  his 
ministering  brethren.  He  was  always  a  favorite  with 
them,  and  I  do  not  know  of  one  who  did  not  regard  him 
with  esteem  and  affection.  Such  trust  was  reposed  in 
him,  that  it  was  a  common  saying  among  them  that  the 
cause  of  truth  was  safe  in  any  place  where  he  was  settled. 
Indeed,  it  might  perhaps  be  said  as  truly  of  him  as  of 
28 


326  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

any  one,  that  he  never  made  an  enemy,  and  never  lost  a 
friend." 

On  the  Sabbath  succeeding  the  death  of  Mr.  Moore,  a 
discourse  on  the  event  was  delivered  in  the  Warren-street 
Universalist  church,  in  Boston,  by  the  pastor,  Rev.  Otis 
A.  Skinner.  The  text  was  the  language  of  Paul  in  view 
of  the  near  event  of  his  own  death:  "For  I  am  now 
ready  to  be  offered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure  is  at 
hand."  We  present  these  extracts  from  the  discourse : 

"  The  life  of  such  a  man  is  the  most  eloquent  com 
mentary  upon  religion,  its  love,  its  kindness,  its  purity, 
that  can  be  given.  He  was  the  model  after  which  his 
people  could  copy.  He  was  not  one  who  stood  as  a  mere 
guide-post  to  direct  the  way.  And  amply  did  he  find 
his  reward  in  his  goodness.  There  are  those  who  pass 
for  good  men,  and  who  doubtless  are  good,  that  never 
have  friends.  They  repulse  all  with  whom  they  come  in 
contact.  If  they  have  integrity,  it  shows  itself  chiefly  in 
a  dogged  obstinacy,  which  expends  itself  in  warring  with 
those  who  differ  from  them.  If  they  have  benevolence, 
it  is  of  that  sour,  morose  character  which  chills  those 
who  are  its  recipients,  and  clouds  their  minds  with  dismal 
forebodings.  If  they  have  sociability,  it  is  of  that  sharp, 
angular  character  which  loves  to  cut  the  hearts  it  en 
twines  with  itself,  and  creates  more  uneasiness  than  pleas 
ure.  There  are  some  good  men  that  you  cannot  love. 
You  do  not  doubt  their  honesty,  their  desire  to  be  useful, 
their  benevolence  of  purpose ;  but  still  there  is  nothing  in 
them  attractive.  Our  brother  was  not  in  the  cast  of  this 


PERSONAL  AND   PROFESSIONAL   CHARACTER.      327 

stamp.  He  was  generous,  open,  frank,  cordial,  kind,  and 
took  delight  in  making  all  happy.  Hence  he  had  friends, 
—  strong,  cordial,  devoted  friends.  And  the  idea  of  leaving 
the  world,  therefore,  was  not  connected  with  the  thought 
that  it  had  gone  roughly  with  him,  that  it  had  yielded 
him  no  enjoyment,  and  that  to  resign  it  was  to  resign 
that  which  had  never  done  him  good  or  ministered  to  his 
pleasure.  Not  only  had  he  had  friends,  but  also  a  success 
ful  ministry.  When  he  entered  the  field  of  ministerial 
labor  there  was  only  one  society  in  his  state  able  to  have 
constant  preaching,  and  only  some  ten  or  twelve  in  all  New 
England.  What  a  change  did  he  live  to  witness  !  He 
had  seen  the  wilderness  bud  and  blossom ;  had  seen  hun 
dreds  of  societies  come  forth  to  life.  And  yet  the  thought 
that  death  was  at  hand  did  not  make  him  melancholy. 
And  now  the  question  arises,  Why  did  it  not  ?  Never 
were  his  labors  more  blessed ;  never  did  he  stand  fairer 
before  the  world.  Although  no  politician, —  though  he 
loved  the  ministry,  and  gave  his  whole  heart  to  it, —  he 
had  just  been  selected,  by  a  large  portion  of  the  citizens 
of  his  state,  as  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  Governor ;  and 
selected,  too,  with  a  degree  of  unanimity  and  under  cir 
cumstances  as  favorable  as  could  have  been  desired.  And, 
though  obliged  to  decline  the  nomination,  because  he  had 
not  been  long  enough  a  resident  of  the  state  since  his 
return  to  it,  it  was  thought  that  no  man  in  the  state 
would  have  received  a  larger  vote  than  he.  How  was  it, 
then,  that  he  could  have  been  so  cheerful,  so  composed, 


328  MEMOIE   OF   JOHN  MOOKE. 

so  happy,  when  he  felt,  under  such  circumstances,  that 
death  was  standing  at  his  very  door  ?  I  answer  : 

"  1.  He  had  entire  confidence  in  God. —  But  few 
really  know  what  such  confidence  is.  They  have  what 
they  call  confidence,  but  it  is  only  a  half-way  trust,  a  trust 
that  will  serve  them  in  the  day  of  health  and  prosperity, 
or  that  will  even  serve  them  under  slight  pressures  of 
evil ;  but  when  the  sky  grows  all  dark,  when  the  sun  is 
perfectly  veiled,  and  every  star  is  extinguished,  and  no 
ray  of  light  is  seen,  then  they  give  way  to  despair, —  the 
waters  of  grief  overflow  them.  Very  different  was  the 
trust  of  the  prophet  when  he  said,  '  Although  the  fig-tree 
shall  not  blossom,  neither  shall  fruit  be  in  the  vines ;  the 
labor  of  the  olive  shall  fail,  and  the  fields  shall  yield  no 
meat ;  the  flock  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and  there 
shall  be  no  herd  in  the  stalls ;  yet  I  will  rejoice  in  the 
Lord,  I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation  ; '  different 
that  of  David,  saying,  '  Clouds  and  darkness  are  round 
about  him ;  righteousness  and  judgment  are  the  habita 
tion  of  his  throne.'  True  trust  takes  hold  on  God  when 
there  is  nothing  else  to  yield  support;  it  has  an  eye 
which  looks  beyond  present  trial.  And  such  was  hia 
trust. 

"  2.  He  had  submission. —  Submission  is  generally  a 
feeling  that  is  produced  gradually,  by  sickness,  wasting 
strength,  and  keen  suffering.  After  we  have  been  for 
months  stricken  with  disease,  and  feel  how  frail  we  are, 
then  may  we  realize  submission  to  the  will  of  Him  who 
holdeth  all  mortal  life  in  his  hand.  "  This  submission  does 


PERSONAL  AND   PROFESSIONAL   CHARACTER.      329 

not  so  surely  hold  us  when  the  pulse  bounds  with  health, 
and  we  feel  most  of  life's  present  blessing.  It  was  a 
virtue  of  our  brother,  however,  at  all  times.  He  was 
reconciled  to  the  divine  purpose ;  was  willing  his  heavenly 
Father  should  have  his  own  way  with  him ;  could  say, 
'  If  the  Lord  will  I  live  or  die.  Let  him  do  as  seemeth 
good  in  his  sight.' 

"3.  He  had  hope  in  another  life. —  He  felt  assured 
that,  when  he  passed  the  boundaries  of  time,  he  would 
have  opened  to  him  the  gates  of  the  celestial  city,  the  city 
that  hath  foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God. 
This  was  the  doctrine  he  had  preached,  and  to  him  it  was 
a  reality.  He  knew  the  boundless  love,  the  eternal 
mercy,  the  changeless  goodness,  of  the  Father ;  and  he 
could  say  with  Paul,  '  I  am  persuaded  that  neither  death 
nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor 
things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor  depth, 
nor  any  other  creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from 
the  love  of  God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.' 

"  These,  then,  are  the  reasons  why  he  was  not  troubled 
by  the  knowledge  that  he  could  live  only  a  little  while, 
and  that  death  was  constantly  near.  0,  brethren,  what 
a  blessing  is  there  in  a  view  like  this  !  May  the  hopes 
and  joys  which  it  reveals  be  ours  !  " 

The  following,  from  a  letter  to  the  writer  of  this 
memoir,  from  Rev.  I.  D.  Williamson,  D.D.,  speaks  for 
itself: 

"For  a  full  quarter  century  I  knew  brother  Moore, 
and  loved  him  as  a  brother  indeed.  He  took  me  by  the 
28* 


330  MEMOIB  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

hand  and  encouraged  me  in  my  earliest  efforts  in  the 
ministry ;  and  from  that  day  onward  to  the  day  of  hia 
departure,  I  had  no  warmer  or  better  friend.  His  soul 
was  full  of  the  love  of  God  and  man,  and  his  influence 
was  always  for  the  good  and  the  true.  His  very  look 
was  a  benediction ;  and  I  have  more  than  once  heard  it 
said  of  him  that  there  was  scarcely  any  necessity  that  he 
should  preach  at  all.  He  had  only  to  stand  up  in  the 
pulpit  and  look  around  upon  the  people,  and  they  would 
go  away  feeling  that  they  had  received  a  blessing,  and 
that  they  had  caught  something  of  the  spirit  of  a  good 
man  and  true.  His  preaching  was  characterized  with 
the  unction  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  few  heard  him  without 
feeling  that  they  were  made  stronger  and  better  men. 
Greater  preachers  we  may  have  had  amongst  us,  but 
none  better, —  no,  not  one." 

During  the  preparation  of  this  memoir,  there  came 
into  the  hands  of  the  writer  a  publication  from  the  west, 
containing  a  controversial  article,  from  one  evidently  not 
in  heart-fellowship  with  the  faith  of  Mr.  Moore,  who,  at 
the  same  time,  offered  this  apparently  spontaneous  tribute 
to  him : 

"Were  the  writer  to  select  one,  from  among  all  the 
Christian  ministers  he  has  known  of  all  denominations, 
whom  he  would  pronounce  the  most  complete  Christian 
gentleman,  his  mind  would  fall  upon  Rev.  John  Moore, 
whose  nomination  as  candidate  for  Governor  of  New 
Hampshire,  and  whose  sudden  death  soon  ensuing  that 
nomination,  are  familiar  to  the  country.  The  writer  had 
known  and  noticed  him  for  years." 


CHAPTER    XV. 

TRIBUTE   OF  THE   REFORM    ASSOCIATION. 

MR.  MOORE,  at  the  time  of  his  decease,  was  one  of 
the  Vice-Preaidents  of  the  Universalist  General  Reform 
Association.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  this  body,  on  the 
last  Wednesday  in  May,  1855,  at  the  Universalist  church 
in  School-street,  Boston,  the  following  resolution  was 
offered  by  Rev.  J.  G.  Adams,  and  during  the  meeting 
unanimously  adopted : 

Whereas,  it  hath  pleased  the  All-wise  Disposer  of 
events  to  remove  from  this  earthly  life,  during  the  past 
year,  our  faithful  and  much-esteemed  brother,  one  of  the 
Vice-Presidents  of  this  Association,  Rev.  JOHN  MOORE, 
of  New  Hampshire, 

Resolved,  That  while  we  would  be  resigned  to  that 
Supreme  will,  in  obedience  to  which  he  has  left  his  home 
and  field  of  duty  here,  we  would  ever  hold  in  remem 
brance  his  true  manliness  of  character,  his  devotedness  to 
the  great  principles  of  the  Gospel,  his  faithful  labors  as  a 
Christian  minister  and  pastor,  as  a  prudent,  consistent, 


332  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

fearless  reformer;  and  friend  and  servant  of  all  men ;  and 
•while  we  sympathize  with  his  bereaved  family,  and  real 
ize  the  loss  occasioned  by  his  death,  to  our  own  denomi 
nation  and  to  the  Christian  fraternity,  we  would  express 
our  united  desire  that  we  may  be  incited  by  his  example 
to  that  life  of  faith  which  is  the  greatest  of  all  argu 
ments  that  Christianity  is .  from  God,  and  its  power 
adequate  to  the  enlightenment  and  salvation  of  mankind. 

Among  the  remarks  of  members  of  the  association,  on 
the  passage  of  this  resolution,  we  have  room  only  for  the 
following,  from  an  address  of  Rev.  Massena  Goodrich, 
of  Waltham,  Mass. : 

"It  is  a  fact,  Mr.  President,  worthy  of  mention  in 
this  association,  that  brother  Moore  was  a  genuine 
reformer.  His  was  no  fiery  zeal,  which  sought  to  revo 
lutionize  public  sentiment  in  a  day,  and  chafed  with  fury 
because  its  wishes  were  not  gratified ;  nor  was  his  a  blind 
conservatism,  which  looked  on  abuses  as  hallowed,  pro 
vided  they  were  old.  He  was  one  who  could  labor,  and 
yet  wait.  He  felt,  what  I  trust  you  and  I  feel,  Mr. 
President,  that  Christianity  has  a  part  to  play  in  all  the 
varied  affairs  of  life ;  that,  while  it  aims  to  sanctify  the 
entire  man,  it  wars  against  every  institution  which  would 
crush  or  brutalize  humanity.  He  remembered  that  the 
Gospel  bids  us  sympathize  with  the  degraded  and 
enslaved,  as  bearing  in  mind  that  they  too  are  our 
brethren.  Without  rashness,  but  without  cowardice, 
he  rebuked  sin  wherever  he  saw  it,  whether  in  high 
places  or  in  low. 


TRIBUTE   OF    THE  REFORM  ASSOCIATION.         333 

"  I  met  our  departed  brother  a  few  months  before  his 
decease,  and  listened  with  delight  to  a  gleeful  account 
that  he  gave  of  a  lecture  he  had  received  from  a  minis 
tering  brother.  Brother  Moore  had  affixed  his  name  to 
the  clerical  protest  sent  on  to  Congress  against  the 
Kansas- Nebraska  act.  The  clergyman  of  whom  he 
spoke  was  amazed  at  brother  Moore's  indiscretion.  '  How 
came  you,  brother  Moore,  to  sign  such  a  document  ? ' 
'  Did  you  entertain  any  doubt,  my  brother,'  was  the 
frank  reply,  '  that  I  would  sign  it  ?  "  How  came  I  to 
sign  if?  "  I  did  so,  sir,  because  it  is  a  feet  that  Con 
gress,  in  repealing  the  Missouri  Compromise,  and  open 
ing  a  new  region  to  slavery,  insulted  the  North,  and 
sinned  against  humanity,  and  against  God  !  '  Such 
was  the  sturdiness,  such  the  integrity,  such  the  man 
liness,  of  our  departed  brother.  In  deference  to  his  con 
victions  of  duty,  he  snapped  party  ties  and  associations, 
as  though  they  were  but  reeds. 

"  But,  Mr.  President,  he  has  gone.  In  the  long  conflict 
with  the  giant  evils  that  darken  our  land,  and,  scowl  on 
every  Christian  who  would  dispute  their  supremacy, —  in 
that  conflict  which  lies  before  us  and  our  successors,  the 
wisdom,  the  strong  good  sense,  the  stern  courage,  the 
genial  sympathy,  of  brother  Moore,  would  have  aided  us 
materially.  But  Heaven  has  decreed  otherwise.  Our 
honored  friend  has  been  summoned  hence,  and  we  are  left 
to  toil,  how  much  longer,  we  know  not.  An  admonition 
comes  to  us  from  this  afflictive  event,  bidding  us  •  work 


334  MEMOIR  OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

while  the  day  lasts,  since  the  night  cometh,  when  no  man 
can  work.' 

' '  Mr.  President,  it  was  my  lot  to  preach  in  the  pulpit 
of  our  departed  brother  on  the  Sunday  following  his  de 
cease.  And,  as  I  gazed  on  the  sad  countenances  of  his 
congregation,  and  into  those  tearful  eyes,  I  could  not 
help  uttering  a  thought,  which  I  shall  repeat  here.  Had 
John  Moore  devoted  his  energies  to  the  acquisition  of 
material  wealth,  greedy  heirs  might  have  gathered  round 
his  coffin,  ready  to  wrangle  about  his  property.  Had  he 
been  a  mere  politician,  hungry  aspirants  for  office  might 
have  crowded  round  his  bier,  in  affected  grief  at  his 
departure,  thankful,  perhaps,  in  heart,  that  one  who 
stood  between  them  and  preferment  was  removed.  But, 
because  he  has  been  something  nobler  than  these, — a 
devout  Christian,  a  faithful  philanthropist,  an  honest 
man, —  an  entire  denomination  mourns,  and  thousands  out 
side  the  limits  of  his  sect  lament.  God  grant  that  the 
lesson  may  not  be  lost  on  us  !  " 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

A   WORD   ABOUT   THE  MINISTRY. 

IN  the  ministerial  life  of  our  brother  a  subject  pre 
sents  itself  which  we  cannot  discuss,  but  only  mention, 
in  connection  with  this  memoir.  For  one  of  his  years 
and  acknowledged  ability,  he  had,  perhaps,  an  unusual 
number  of  settlements  in  the  ministry.  Some  of  these 
were  very  agreeable  to  him ;  others  were  not,  in  all 
respects ;  —  although  in  every  place  where  he  was  set 
tled  his  ministry  is  well  spoken  of.  His  work  has  been 
the  more  highly  regarded,  as  it  has  been  the  more  con 
templated  since  its  termination.  This  comes  of  the  char 
acter  of  the  man  and  the  minister.  His  whole  heart  was 
in  his  work.  His  course  in  the  ministry  was  usually 
cheerful  and  hopeful.  He  would  not  leave  his  vocation, 
of  his  own  accord,  for  any  other  that  might  invite  him. 
Yet  he  was  not  insensible  to  the  trials  of  the  minister. 
At  times,  he  keenly  realized  them ;  trials  such  as  the 
minister  often  bears  alone,  without  making  them  a  sub 
ject  of  free  speech  with  his  people.  We  refer,  not  to 


336  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

trials  which  come  to  the  minister  of  his  own  incompe- 
tency  for  duty,  or  neglect  of  it  (for  which  we  would  be 
the  last  to  offer  an  apology),  but  to  such  as  arise  mainly 
from  inconsiderateness  on  the  part  of  those  who  employ 
him.  One  is,  the  expectation  of  too  much  duty  of  a 
minister,  from  want  of  knowledge  of  the  many  and  vari 
ous  calls  upon  him ;  another,  the  inadequacy  of  ministe 
rial  support ;  and  another,  the  transient  nature  of  minis 
terial  settlements,  by  which  the  minister  is  made  to  feel 
that,  after  his  best  endeavors  with  his  people,  the  con 
nection  may  be  suddenly  broken  off.  from  causes  which  a 
stronger  religious  interest  on  their  part  might  have  pre 
vented. 

These,  and  other  embarrassments  in  the  way 'of  a  min 
ister's  true  life,  we  are  thankful  to  know,  have  been, 
within  a  few  years  past,  the  subject  of  much  thoughtful 
consideration  with  ministers  and  people.  They  are  evils 
appealing  alike  to  all  Christian  sects;  evils  that  have 
brought  into  life  and  circulation  such  works  as  our 
"Sunny  Sides,"  "Shady  Sides,"  "Parish  Sides," 
"Peep  at  Number  Five,"  "The  Rector  of  St.  Bar- 
dolph's,"  and  the  "Records  of  Bubbleton  Parish ;"  works 
which  have  found  multitudes  of  readers,  and  which  are 
still  on  a  message  of  truth  with  the  Christian  public. 

That  there  was  a  gracious  Providence  directing  him  in 
alKhis  ways,  through  all  the  trials  and  changes  here  be 
setting  him,  Mr.  Moore  conscientiously  and  rejoicingly 
believed.  In  this  light  he  made  the  best  of  all  griev 
ances  allotted  to  him.  He  kept  right  on  his  way,  never 


A  WORD  ABOUT  THE  MINISTRY.  337 

weary  of  spirit  in  well-doing.  And  it  may  be  that  this 
same  providential  hand  which  so  directed  him  has 
intended  also,  through  his  experiences,  to  open  other  eyea 
to  some  of  the  things  which  rendered  his  ministry  less 
effective  than  it  might  have  been.  If  it  shall  teach  any  one 
society  this  lesson,  namely,  When  they  have  a  minister 
as  unexceptionable  every  way  as  he  was,  to  keep  him,  if 
possible ;  to  rally  around  him ;  to  understand  his  trials, 
and  endeavor  to  lighten  them ;  to  work  with  him  by  every 
righteous  means  for  the  advancement  of  the  Christian 
cause ;  it  shall  not  have  given  these  experiences  to  the 
world  in  vain.  That  such  a  lesson  is  to  be  more  gen 
erally  heeded  than  it  has  been  in  many  instances  in  the 
past,  if  we  would  make  increase  of  numbers  and  of  true 
power  as  a  denomination,  seems  as  evident  to  us  as  that 
the  fruit  will  be  according  to  the  nature  of  the  tree  that 
bears  it. 

29 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

HIS  FAITH;    ITS   TEACHINGS  AND   APPLICATIONS.- 

WE  are  not  able  to  bring  within  the  compass  of  this 
volume  such  extracts  from  the  writings  of  our  brother, 
illustrative  of  his  faith,  as  we  desired ;  and  must,  there 
fore,  be  content  with  presenting,  in  as  concise  a  form  as 
may  be  practicable,  what  further  we  have  to  say  respect 
ing  this  faith,  its  teachings  and  applications. 

His  views  of  Christian  doctrine  always  come  to  us  in 
"  the  form  of  sound  words."  lie  takes  pleasure  in  the 
textual  or  philosophical  exposition  of  his  faith ;  in  pointing 
out  its  practical  bearings ;  in  advocating  by  its  light  the 
maintenance  of  Christian  ordinances ;  in  vindicating  in  its 
holy  name  the  sincere  and  earnest  efforts  of  all  persons, 
sects,  and  parties,  to  lessen  human  wrong,  correct  human 
abuses,  and  reform  corrupt  habits  and  institutions.  His 
faith  is  based  on  the  Divine  Paternity.  He  says : 

"How  few,  even  among  professed  believers  in  the 
doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ,  are  in  the  possession  of  that 
faith  in  the  Parental  character  and  disposition  of  the 


HIS  FAITH.  339 

immutable  Jehovah,  which  is  implied  in  their  Christian 
profession ;  and  which  is  so  necessary  to  confidence  in, 
and  reconciliation  to,  the  government  of  Him  whose 
kingdom  ruleth  over  all.  Do  those  parents  who  fear  that 
God  will  finally  banish  their  children  from  his  presence, 
and  consign  them  to  endless  torments,  evince  much  con 
fidence  in  the  Divine  Paternity  ?  Do  they,  in  the  ex 
pression  of  their  fears  on  this  subject,  evince  much  faith 
in  the  teaching  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  when  he  in 
formed  mankind  that  our  Father  in  heaven  was  infinitely 
more  kind  to  man  than  earthly  parents  are  to  their 
children  ? 

"  How  ready  are  the  kind  father  and  the  affectionate 
mother  to  bestow  blessings  on  their  offspring,  to  anticipate 
their  wants,  to  relieve  to  the  extent  of  their  power  their 
distresses,  to  grant  their  requests  if  consistent  with  the 
good  of  the  family ;  and  when  they  chastise  them  how 
benevolent  is  their  object ;  and  even  if  their  children  are 
disobedient,  and  unmindful  of  their  own  good,  and  stray 
far  from  the  path  of  honor  and  happiness,  with  what  in 
tense  anxiety  do  the  parents  look  for  their  return ;  and 
how  ready  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  effect  a  reformation  ! 
And  yet,  these  very  parents  perhaps  are  so  much  under 
the  influence  of  a  false  creed,  that  they,  by  their  fears 
in  regard  to  what  God  will  do  to  their  children,  or  suffer 
to  be  done,  impute  to  him  a  character  and  disposition 
which  they  themselves  would  blush  to  own,  and  which 
would  disgrace  the  veriest  tyrant  that  ever  existed  !  How 
much  more  confidence  such  parents  have  in  their  own 


340  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

goodness  than  in  the  goodness  of  God,  who  declares  that 
his  tender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works,  and  that  he  is 
without  variableness  or  shadow  of  turning  !  And  yet, 
these  persons  are  called  believers  !  What  do  they  believe 
concerning  the  will  of  God  relative  to  the  salvation  of 
man?  Do  they  believe  that  St.  Paul  was  in  earnest 
when  he  said  of  God  that  he  '  will  have  all  men  to  be 
saved  and  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,'  and 
that  '  he  worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own 
will.' 

"If  so,  why  express  so  much  distrust  of  the  accom 
plishment  of  this  will, —  why  so  fearful  of  the  result  of 
God's  government  over  moral  beings  ?  Ah !  the  fear 
and  distrust  which  are  in  so  many  ways  expressed,  with 
respect  to  the  disposition  which  God  our  Father  will 
make  of  his  offspring,  show  most  clearly  that  too  many, 
even  of  professed  Christians,  have  paid  but  little  atten 
tion  to  the  teaching  of  the  Saviour ;  that  they  entertain 
contracted  views  of  the  character  of  the  Father  of  us 
all,  and  have  but  a  weak  faith  in  his  promises ;  and  have 
need  to  pray,  '  Lord,  I  believe  ;  help  thou  our  unbelief.'  " 

This  faith  he  read  in  the  Scriptures,  for  which  he  had 
a  profound  reverence.  He  received  them  as  a  record  of 
successive  revelations  made  by  God  to  his  children,  the 
last  and  greatest  one  being  that  of  Jesus  Christ.  His 
reverence  for  these  records  was  not  superstitious,  but 
rational  and  consistent.  He  regarded  the  evidences  of 
the  divine  communications  in  the  Bible  as  irresistible, 
would  men  but  open  their  minds  and  hearts  to  them.  In 


HIS  FAITH.  341 

a  communication  entitled  "  Search  the  Scriptures,"  he 
urges  upon  all  classes,  and  upon  those  in  the  different 
stages  of  life's  progress,  the  duty  of  making  this  revela 
tion  of  heavenly  truth  their  frequent  and  devout  study. 

"  The  Bible  is  the  Christian's  text-book,  and,  there 
fore,  it  should  be  his  earnest  endeavor  to  make  himself 
more  and  more  acquainted  with  its  contents,  that  he  may 
not  only  be  able  to  give  a  reason  of  the  views  he  enter 
tains,  and  the  grounds  of  the  hope  which  he  cherishes, 
but  that  he  may  also  be  enabled,  by  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  its  holy  doctrines  and  divine  precepts,  to  derive  from 
the  source  of  all  light  and  goodness,  whose  character  and 
purposes  are  therein  revealed,  all  the  comfort,  peace,  and 
reconciliation  to  the  government  of  God,  which  the  hap 
piness  of  man  requires,  and  which  is  found  in  rich  abun 
dance  in  obedience  to  the  principles  and  precepts  therein 
inculcated.  The  Bible  is  emphatically  '  the  book  of 
books  ; '  and  all  who  have  so  read  it,  and  so  reflected  on 
its  contents  as  to  perceive  to  some  considerable  extent 
its  beauty,  its  grandeur,  and  its  simplicity,  will  thus 
regard  it.  And  those  persons  who  neglect  the  reading 
of  the  Scriptures,  or  who  read  without  understanding 
what  they  read,  are  depriving  themselves  of  much  mental 
and  moral  enjoyment.  The  Bible  is  adapted  to  all  ages, 
ranks,  and  conditions  in  life.  It  imparts  wisdom  to  the 
ruler;  shows  the  subject  the  propriety  of  obedience;  it 
administers  reproof  and  warnings  of  punishment  to  the 
vicious,  and  affords  encouragement  to  the  virtuous ;  it 
teaches  parents  and  children,  partners  and  kindred,  their 
29* 


342  MEMOIR   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

duty  to  themselves  and  each  other ;  it  enjoins  on  each 
and  all  universal  good-will ;  it  comes  to  all  as  the  faith 
ful  record  of  our  Father's  will,  in  which  is  secured  the 
rich  and  all-desirable  legacy  of  immortality,  honor,  and 
glory,  to  be  conferred  on  the  whole  family  of  man." 

His  confidence  in  the  agreement  of  his  faith  with  the 
dictates  of  enlightened  reason  — that  it  commended 
itself  to  the  best  intellectual  and  moral  perceptions  of 
our  nature  —  is  well  set  forth  in  a  short  article  published 
as  an  editorial  in  the  Universalist.  It  is  entitled  "  I 
Thought." 

"  I  once  inquired  of  a  man  who  had  been  blind  from 
early  infancy,  and  who  had  embraced  the  glorious  doc 
trine  of  the  Restitution,  what  led  him  to  become  a 
Universalist.  His  answer  was,  '  /  thought?  I  was 
highly  pleased  with  the  laconic  reply,  as  it  is  a  full  and 
clear  explanation  of  the  reason  why  men  are  led  to 
embrace  that  truth  which  makes  the  mind  free  and  the 
soul  happy.  In  proportion  as  men  think  and  reason  on 
the  subject  of  human  destiny,  taking  the  universally- 
acknowledged  character  of  God  as  the  basis  of  their 
thoughts,  they  will  be  led  to  doubt  the  truth  of  partial- 
ism.  And  if  they  continue  their  thoughts,  and  withal 
possess  independence  of  mind,  they  will  at  length  come 
to  embrace  the  heavenly  doctrine  of  the  salvation  of  the 
world  by  Jesus  Christ.  This  is  probably  the  reason 
why  it  has  been  deemed  unsafe  to  reason  upon  religious 
doctrine;  why  human  reason  has  been  denounced  as 
dangerous.  But  thinking  and  reasoning  on  the  character 


HIS   FAITH.  343 

and  purposes  of  God  can  be  dangerous  only  to  error,  and 
unsafe  only  to  the  creeds  of  men. 

"  The  literally  blind  are  not  the  only  persons  who  are 
in  the  dark.  There  is  a  blindness  under  the  influence 
of  which  thousands  are  laboring  in  regard  to  the  charac 
ter  and  will  of  God,  which  is  a  thousand  times  more 
dreadful  than  to  be  shut  out  from  the  light  of  the  glori 
ous  sun,  especially  if,  while  literally  blind,  the  light  and 
the  glory  of  the  moral  world  beams  upon  the  mind, 
making  it  light  in  the  Lord.  The  Gospel,  as  taught  by 
Jesus  Christ  and  his  apostles,  is  the  only  system  faith 
in  which  can  give  peace  and  rest  and  joy  to  all  hearts." 

He  loved  his  faith,  because  with  him  it  was  no  mere 
abstraction,  but  the  power  and  the  wisdom  of  God  in  the 
present  and  future  salvation  of  man  ;  not  a  speculation, 
but  a  fact ;  not  a  word,  but  a  life.  He  could  not  have 
been  satisfied  with  a  "  faith  without  works ; "  with  a 
Universalism  whose  chief  topic  of  thought  and  discussion 
was,  that  all  men  would  somehow  be  saved  hereafter, 
while  this  assurance  was  attended  with  negligence  of 
spiritual  culture  and  discipline  and  improvement  here. 
His  faith  was  higher,  deeper,  broader,  than  this.  It  was 
a  faith  which  gave  man  more  work  to  do  than  all  other 
faiths, —  work  such  as  man  is  capable  of  accomplishing. 
It  had  life  in  it,  to  awaken  dead  souls  to  the  service  of 
truth  and  the  love  of  righteousness.  It  was  a  faith 
shining  brightest  in  its  works, —  in  love  to  God  and  love 
to  man, —  love  of  purity,  justice,  holiness.  It  not  only 
preached  to  him,  and  made  him  preach  to  others,  "  God 


344  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

will  have  all  men  to  be  saved,  and  to  come  unto  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth,"  but,  in  equally  earnest  and 
wakeful  zeal,  "  Now  is  the  accepted  time ;  behold  now 
is  the  day  of  salvation." 

Of  the  different  kinds  of  professed  friends  of  the  great 
Christian  faith,  he  says  : 

"  What  a  palpable  difference  there  is  between  the  real, 
sentimental  Universalist,  who  knows  what  he  believes 
and  why  he  believes  it,  who  is  ready  to  show  his  faith 
by  his  works,  and  the  professed  friend  of  the  holy  cause 
of  God's  impartial  and  changeless  love  to  the  world, 
who  has  no  definite  views  of  the  doctrine  he  would  be 
understood  to  favor,  and  whose  conduct  proves  that  he 
has  no  real  love  for  it !  What  he  calls  faith  in  the  Gospel 
as  held  by  Universalists,  is  only  a  rejection  of  partialisrn  ; 
and  what  he  calls  love  for  the  cause  of  truth,  is  only 
hatred  of  what  he  thinks  is  erroneous. 

"  Now,  the  difference  between  these  two  persons  is 
great  indeed;  in  their  feelings  in  regard  to  the  cause 
of  truth,  and  in  their  influence  on  their  associates. 
The  man  or  the  woman  who  is  really  a  believer  in  the 
glorious  doctrine  of  universal  salvation,  not  only  enjoys 
much  happiness  in  that  belief,  but  is  anxious  also  that 
others  should  be  brought  to  participate  in  the  same  rich 
feast  of  the  spirit.  But  those  who  have  no  living  faith 
in  the  system  are  of  course  deprived  of  any  real  enjoyment 
in  this  respect,  consequently  feel  no  particular  desire  that 
others  should  embrace  the  sentiment.  And  why  should 
they  ?  They  know  nothing,  comparatively,  of  the  pleas- 


HIS  FAITH.  345 

ure  of  a  strong  and  enduring  faith  in  the  promises  of 
God  as  given  us  in  the  Gospel,  and  therefore  have  no 
desire  that  others  should  believe  especially  for  the 
benefit  of  the  believer ;  they  may  desire  that  others 
should  join  their  party  for  party  purposes. 

"  This  latter  class  are  dead  weights  to  the  cause,  while 
the  former  are  as  '  lively  stones '  in  the  spiritual  temple 
of  the  Most  High.  The  influence  of  the  one  is  great 
and  good,  and  does  much  to  recommend  the  truth  to  the 
consideration  of  others  ;  that  of  the  other  is  the  reverse, 
and  does  much  to  bring  the  doctrine  professed  into  dis 
repute  with  those  who  judge  of  the  goodness  of  a  system 
by  the  conduct  of  its  professed  adherents.  0,  how  desir 
able  that  all  who  profess  to  be  Universalists  should 
adorn  that  profession  !  Then  would  their  light  shine 
before  men,  and  great  good  would  be  the  result.  0,  for 
more  of  the  real  spirit  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Gospel ! 
May  a  merciful  God  send  out  his  light  and  his  truth  to 
lead  us !  " 

He  took  great  interest  in  what  have  been  called  Chris 
tian  Ordinances.  We  believe  he  deemed  water  baptism 
to  have  been  the  primitive  mode  of  administering  that 
rite.  He  was  ever  a  consistent  advocate  of  the  Church 
institution,  and  of  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 
Some  of  his  severest  trials  of  mind  were  realized,  at  times, 
in  consequence  of  the  lack  of  interest  in  this  institution 
.on  the  part  of  those  whose  sincerity  and  engagedness 
otherwise  in  the  faith  he  had  no  reason  to  doubt. 

Mr.  Moore  was  one  of  the  firmest  of  Protestants. 


346  MEMOIK   OF   JOHN   MOORE. 

His  faith  made  him  so.  This  was  to  him  the  best 
embodiment  of  Protestantism  that  the  world  had  seen. 
It  teaches  and  claims  the  right  of  private  judgment 
respecting  religious  truth,  the  free  reading  of  the  Scrip 
tures  by  the  people,  the  education  of  the  masses.  It 
repudiates  errors  of  doctrine  held  in  common  by  Prot 
estants  and  Romanists,  especially  the  dogma  of  endless 
punishment,  which  has  served  to  keep  men  apart  rather 
than  to  make  them  more  and  more  "one  in  Christ 
Jesus."  It  views  God  as  a  Common  Parent,  and  insti 
tutes  and  encourages  a  priesthood  through  which  a  true 
spiritual  culture  and  elevation  may  be  the  blessing  of 
all.  Its  tendency  is  —  contrary  to  Romanism  as  evinced 
in  the  history  of  the  last  three  centuries  —  to  produce  the 
best  forms  of  human  government  among  the  nations  ; 
the  tyrannies  and  other  Avrongs  now  prevailing  in  many 
of  them  having  life  and  growth  from  principles  at  vari 
ance  with  the  ' '  Gospel  that  bringeth  salvation  to  all 
men."  It  would  secure  socially,  politically,  spiritually, 
"  the  greatest  good  of  the  greatest  number." 

Although  during  the  last  year  of  his  life  the  question 
of  the  relative  claims  of  Protestantism  and  Catholicism 
had  been  more  warmly  and  widely  discussed  in  this 
country  than  at  any  previous  time  in  its  history,  and 
although  the  political  party  by  whose  will  Mr.  Moore 
received  his  nomination  for  chief  magistrate  of  the  state 
had  made  this  question  the  one  of  main  importance  in 
their  creed,  he  had  no  new  interest  to  gain  or  to  pretend 
in  reference  to  the  question.  He  had  always  regarded 


HIS   FAITH.  347 

the  spirit  of  Catholicism  —  as  most  generally  developed 
in  human  history  —  hostile  to  the  social,  political,  and 
religious  progress  of  mankind,  and  Protestantism  as 
favorable  to  these  blessings.  He  had  charity  for  Catho 
lics, —  toleration  for  them  to  the  last  degree ;  but 
nothing  but  dislike  for  the  dominant  spirit  of  the  church, 
the  assumptions  of  the  priesthood,  the  theological  errors 
and  illiberal  tendencies  of  Romanism.  He  differed  from 
the  members  of  the  Catholic  church,  as  he  differed  from 
many  Protestants,  in  doctrine ;  and  still  more  from  them 
because  of  their  hostility  to  the  free  reading  and  interpret 
ation  of  the  Scriptures  —  to  RELIGIOUS  LIBERTY.  When 
he  thought  he  saAV  that  invaded  or  held  in  light  esteem 
by  Catholic  or  Protestant,  he  was  ready  to  vindicate  and 
maintain  it  everywhere  and  always. 

His  views  of  Christianity,  in  its  application  to  some  of 
the  reformatory  .questions  and  movements  of  the  times, 
should  also  be  mentioned  here.  He  had  all  confidence 
in  Christian  Truth,  and  lively  interest  in  following  it 
out,  and  applying  it;  applying  it,  too,  not  chiefly  to 
sins  and  errors  of  past  times,  and  people  of  other  days, 
but  to  wrongs  and  "fruitful  works  of  darkness"  that 
are  near  us  in  the  present,  afflicting  and  demeaning  our 
race.  Another  has  properly  written  of  him  :  "  In  all 
questions  of  reform  he  was  on  the  side  of  progress  ;  yet 
not  blind  to  established  interests,  nor  discourteous  to 
opinions  that  differed  from  his  own.  With  all  of  this,  he 
was  firm  in  his  convictions,  fearless  in  their  expression, 
and  ardent  in  whatever  cause  he  espoused.  By  this 


348  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

union  of  strength  with  gentleness,  enthusiasm  with  can 
dor,  he  disarmed  the  enmity  of  opponents,  and  won  from 
men  of  all  classes  and  beliefs  the  homage  of  respect  and 
esteem."  * 

The  Gospel  which  our  brother  was  called  to  promul 
gate  was  one  of  peace.  Its  teaching  was  peace ;  it  would 
finally  abolish  all  warrings  and  wicked  conflicts  among 
men.  In  a  letter  to  a  friend,  during  his  residence  in 
Lynn,  after  he  had  heard  of  the  death  of  Colonel  Ran 
som,  at  the  storming  of  Chepultepec,  he  writes  : 

"  0,  the  war  !  What  will  come  of  it  ?  Col.  Ransom 
killed  !  I  fear  it  was  not  the  best  way,  to  send  our  army 
into  Mexico.  Is  it  not  too  late  in  the  day  for  the  most 
enlightened  nation  on  earth  to  engage  in  such  a  war  ?  Is 
it  asked,  What  would-  you  do  ?  Shall  we  not  maintain 
our  rights,  and  sustain  the  national  honor  ?  Yes ;  but 
all  this  might  have  been  done  in  a  much  cheaper  and 
better  way.  Our  army  might  have  defended  our  frontier 
very  easily,  and  the  difficulties  have  been  adjusted  quite 
as  honorably  as  now ;  and  we  should  have  saved  much 
life  and  treasure ;  for  there  is  not  much  honor  now  in 
killing  even  an  enemy.  The  only  bright  spot  I  can  see, 
in  all  this  darkness,  is,  the  probability  that  civilization 
may  be  advanced  in  that  region  by  the  war,  as  it  has 
been  in  other  ages  and  countries.  But  I  cannot  bear  the 
idea  of  fighting  and  killing  !  Why,  what  can  compen 
sate  for  the  death  of  Ransom  ?  If  it  were  necessary  to 

*  Rev.  S.  P.  Skinner. 


HIS  FAITH.  349 

sacrifice  life  to  settle  some  great  principle,  as  in  our  rev 
olution,  then  I  could  be  reconciled  to  the  loss  of^good 
and  true  men.  But  in  this  case  I  do  not  see  such  a 
necessity."  * 

The  temperance  movement  found  a  consistent  and 
untiring  advocate  in  Mr.  Moore.  He  was  a  '•  total  absti 
nent"  from  principle;  a  believer  in  the  reformation  of 
the  inebriate,  and  in  all  righteous  attempts  to  restrain,  by 
law,  the  sale  of  intoxicating  drinks. 

11 1  well  remember,"  writes  a  citizen  of  Hartford, 
"when  the  cause  of  temperance  seemed  to  be  in  a  lan 
guishing  condition  in  this  vicinity,  and  but  few  were  to 
be  found  who  labored  with  much  zeal,  and  good  hearts 
were  ready  to  despond.  The  president  of  the  principal 
temperance  society  called  on  Mr.  Moore,  and  inquired 
what,  under  the  circumstances,  could  be  done.  He  re 
plied,  '  Be  not  discouraged.  While  I  have  the  ability  to 
do  anything  for  the  cause,  call  upon  me,  and  you  will 
find  me  ready  to  do  my  share  of  duty  in  behalf  of  it. 
Renew  your  efforts,  and  we  will  try  to  excite  a  fresh  in 
terest,  and  may  hope  to  be  successful.'  The  work  was 
taken  hold  of  with  new  life,  and  a  blessing  attended  it. 
The  president  of  this  society  afterwards  informed  me  that 
no  individual  had  rendered  so  much  aid  to  the  cause  in 
this  time  of  need  as  Mr.  Moore ;  and  that  to  no  one  were 

*  In  his  early  days,  Mr.  Moore  had  been  somewhat  distinguished  as 
a  military  man.  During  some  of  the  first  years  of  his  ministry, 
appointments  that  "  Colonel  Moore  "  would  preach  were  not  unfre- 
quently  given  in  places  where  he  was  known. 

30 


350  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

they  under  so  great  obligations  as  to  him.  Many  unfor 
tunate  individuals,  who  had  fallen  into  the  vice  of 
inebriety,  loved  and  venerated  him  as  the  instrument  in 
producing  their  reformation/' 

As  a  believer  in  Christianity,  Mr.  Moore  considered  it 
his  duty  to  bear  his  testimony  against  human  slavery, 
and  especially  against  that  form  of  it  existing  in  some  of 
the  states  of  our  great  national  confederacy.  His  faith 
always  represented  to  him  the  worth  of  the  individual 
man  in  God's  sight  ;  the  estimate  put  upon  him  by  the 
infinite  Father ;  the  work  which  Christ  came  to  do,  not 
in  the  enslavement  of  any,  but  in  the  spiritual  care  and 
culture  of  even  the  weakest  of  all.  On  ground  like  this, 
he  could  oppose  human  slavery,  and  advocate  that  free 
dom  which  is  the  right  of  the  race ;  because  it  'makes 
God  on  the  side  of  freedom,  and  his  government 
pledged  to  bring  all  oppression  to  an  end. 

In  a  communication  to  a  friend,  in  February,  1851,  he 
writes  : 

"  Slavery  !  What  a  misnomer  in  our  American 
vocabulary !  How  it  makes  our  faces  redden,  and  our 
ears  tingle,  when  we  hear  of  those  who,  having  fled  for 
refuge  to  lay  hold  on  the  pleasures  of  freedom  among  our 
native  hills  and  valleys,  are  obliged  to  hasten  on  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  a  monarchical  government,  in  order  to 
preserve  that  freedom  !  If  the  consideration  of  any  sub 
ject  moves  my  soul  to  utter  indignation,  it  is  that  of 
slavery.  It  is,  indeed,  '  the  sum  of  all  villanies.'  And 
when  I  think  that  God  is  just,  in  the  language  of  Mr. 


HIS  FAITH.  351 

Jefferson,  '  I  tremble  for  my  country.'  But  what  can 
be  done  ?  Ah  !  that  is,  indeed,  the  question.  I  am  in 
favor  of  the  colonization  plan.  That  has  already  done 
what  three  of  the  most  powerful  nations  have  failed  to  do, 
in  regard  to  the  suppression  of  the  slave-trade.  If  the 
whole  coast  of  Africa  could  be  colonized,  that  abominable 
traffic  would  be  at  an  end  there,  and  civilization  and 
Christianity  would  gradually  find  their  way  into  the 
heart  of  that  dark  quarter  of  our  globe.  Then,  if  the 
South  would  fix  upon  a  plan  of  gradual  emancipation, 
even  if  it  should  require  a  whole  century  to  carry  it  out, 
and  would  treat  the  blacks  as  Christians  should  treat  the 
poor,  the  ignorant,  and  weak,  the  world  would  be  satis 
fied  ;  only  let  there  be  the  prospect  of  a  final  deliv 
erance.  If  something  of  this  kind  is  not  done,  we  may 
be  sure  that  the  subject  will  continue  to  be  agitated,  till 
some  awful  calamity  will  ensue  ;  especially  if  the  South 
continues  to  send  here  for  fugitives  from  ungodly  op 
pression. 

"  I  pray  Heaven  that  our  glorious  Union  may  be  pre 
served  ;  and  I  believe  it  will  be.  But  one  thing  is  cer 
tain,  our  government  cannot  always  remain,  if  we  aban 
don  the  principles  of  moral  right." 

Another  reformatory  question  in  which  Mr.  Moore  took 
strong  interest  was  that  of  the  abolition  of  the  gallows ; 
the  removing  of  the  death  penalty  from  our  statute-books. 
He  believed  the  gallows  to  be  a  relic  of  barbarism,  having 
no  sanction  in  the  heavenly  law,  and  no  apology  for 
existence  where  true  Christianity  has  the  making  of  human 


352  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  MOORE. 

law.  In  his  opinions  on  this  subject  he  is  in  company 
•with  some  of  the  wisest  and  strongest  of  men,  such  as  Sir 
Edward  Coke,  Canning,  Brougham,  Lafayette,  Dr. 
Southwood  Smith,  and  many  others,  in  Europe ;  and  of 
Franklin,  Rush,  Livingston,  Rantoul,  Woodbury,  and  a 
great  company  more,  in  our  own  land.  He  knew  that  the 
reform  needed  would  not  be  soon  brought  to  pass,  but  had 
no  doubt  of  its  ultimate  success.  Towards  this  desirable 
end  he  was  willing  to  contribute  as  means  and  opportu 
nity  were  afforded  him. 

He  had  much  sympathy,  also,  for  all  just  attempts  to 
minister  good  to  the  prisoner,  the  guilty  and  doomed  by 
human  law ;  such  as  are  often  outcasts  only  from  that 
human  society  whose  frowns  may  have  tended  more  to 
harden  than  to  reform  them.  While  he  had  no  dispo 
sition  to  shield  the  guilty  from  any  just  punishment,  he 
would  have  the  hand  of  mercy  in  all  punishment,  that  it 
might  be  not  only  a  terror  to  evil  doers,  but  an  instru 
mentality  in  the  reformation  of  the  offender.  In  a  letter 
to  Rev.  Charles  Spear,  editor  of  the  Prisoner's 
Friend, —  the  only  periodical  of  the  kind  in  the  world, 
we  believe, —  he  writes: 

"  Take  courage,  my  brother ;  the  cause  you  love  so 
well  must  triumph ;  for  it  is  the  cause  of  God  and  of 
humanity.  The  world  will  yet  come  to  see  that  it  is 
cheaper  to  prevent  than  to  punish  crime  ;  and  then  will 
it  be  seen  that  it  is  more  benevolent  also." 

He  was  ever  the  consistent  and  active  friend  of 
education.  He  did  what  he  could  to  promote  this  cause 


HIS   FAITH.  353 

wherever  his  lot  was  cast.  By  voice  and  pen  was  his 
influence  to  this  end  exerted.  He  was  deeply  interested 
in  the  common  schools,  the  literary  institutions,  the  col 
leges,  of  our  country.  He  had  early  and  special  anxious- 
ness  for  the  establishment  and  support  of  institutions  of 
learning  in  connection  with  the  Universalist  denomina 
tion.  His  efforts  at  one  time  in  behalf  of  the  Norwich 
University,  his  exertions  to  build  up  the  academy  at 
Lebanon,  and  his  ready  and  earnest  advocacy  of  the  new 
college  at  Somerville,  are  bright  and  unmistakable  evi 
dences  of  this  anxiousness. 
30* 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

CONCLUDING   REMARKS. 

WE  have  thus  before  us,  as  truthfully  as  we  have 
been  able  to  make  the  presentation,  the  noble  MAN  of 
this  brief  history.  If  his  fame  be  not  as  far-reaching  as 
that  of  many  of  the  world's  heroes,  it  is  none  the  less 
honorable  in  the  estimation  of  those  who  best  knew  him, 
and  who  had  best  judgment  as  to  the  higher  qualities  of 
our  nature  ;  none  the  less  precious  in  the  sight  of  Him 
whose  holy  representative  to  man  long  since  said,  "  He 
who  would  be  greatest  among  you,  let  him  be  your  ser 
vant."  His  manliness  shows  itself  wherever  he  lives, 
and  speaks,  and  acts.  A  minister  of  love  on  earth,  he 
had  his  citizenship  in  heaven,  and  never  seemed  forgetful 
of  the  allegiance  he  owed  in  that  higher  realm.  Though 
busy  in  the  cares  and  strifes  which  must  needs  be  a  part 
of  man's  portion  here,  he  failed  not  to  throw  himself 
upon  his  inner  spiritual  resources,  and  to  find  there 
strength  for  his  soul's  wants.  Loving  the  world's  good, 
—  everything  of  it  which  he  was  permitted  to  enjoy, — 


CONCLUDING   REMARKS.  355 

he  was  watchful  of  its  evil,  seeking  to  "keep  himself 
unspotted,"  and  to  win  other  souls  to  "all  godliness  and 
virtue."  In  the  midst  of  human  deceptions,  a  more 
guileless  spirit  has  seldom  appeared.  He  was  what  he 
seemed  to  be.  What  he  said  for  truth  and  duty  were 
words  of  the  heart  as  well  of  the  lips ;  and  so  strong  does 
he  seem,  so  fixed  in  his  adherence  to  the  right,  that  we 
can  hardly  imagine  the  circumstance  under  which  he 
would  have  swerved  from  his  integrity.  There  is  a  Ger 
man  legend  of  a  man  who  had  resisted  all  the  temptations 
earth  could  offer.  The  demon  opened  to  his  gaze  the 
marvels  under  the  earth ;  trees  effulgent  with  diamond 
fruits,  pillars  of  gold  and  precious  stones,  fountains  of 
water  of  a  million  hues,  and  over  all  a  delicious  music 
instead  of  air.  The  tempter  succeeded.  Envy  and  ex 
travagant  desire  were  created  in  the  breast  that  had  been 
calm  before.  If  any  mortal  could  have  come  out  of  such 
a  trial  without  yielding  to  the  tempter,  tfois  man  of  Chris 
tian  honor  and  principle  would  have  done  so.  His  faith 
in  God  answered  to  the  description  in  the  Psalm  :  "They 
that  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  be  as  mount  Zion,  that  cannot 
be  removed,  but  abideth  forever." 

His  WORK,  too,  how  steady,  constant,  and  sure,  is  that ! 
It  was  a  work  in  answer  to  the  inclinations  of  his  early 
manhood,  and  of  all  his  subsequent  life.  His  "one  idea" 
was  to  be  a  true  Christian  minister ;  to  preach  the  Gospel 
of  the  heavenly  kingdom ;  to  declare  its  "  unsearchable 
riches"  toman;  his  one  theme  through  all  his  service 
•was,  "Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified."  And'this  made 


356  MEMOIR  OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

his  ministerial  life,  through  its  many  changes,  so  uniform, 
consistent,  acceptable.  He  had  no  distracting  side  issues 
in  the  midst  of  his  ministerial  disputes  ;  no  large  worldli- 
ness  to  claim  an  undue  share  of  his  time  and  attention. 
He  aspired  to  no  higher  dignity  than  that  of  a  humble 
servant  of  all  men  in  the  capacity  of  a  disciple  and  min 
ister  of  the  great  Head  of  humanity  himself.  To  his  last 
hour,  this  one  pursuit  was  his  chief  joy.  And  how  it 
makes  his  life  speak  to  us  now,  after  he  has  passed  on ! 
To  what  a  good  reckoning  of  the  use  of  his  powers  does 
it  bring  us  ;  to  what  a  glorious  summing  up  of  the  man 
and  his  doings  ! 

In  a  work  entitled  "  Passages  from  the  History  of  a 
Wasted  Life,"  the  author,  in  speaking  of  his  own  past 
course  in  the  ways  of  error,  has  this  striking  similitude  : 

"  Like  some  bright  host  with  untried  powers, 

Bright,  marching  in  the  morning  sun, 
Started,  TO-D AT,  with  all  its  hours, 

Prepared  a  bright  career  to  run  ; 
Like  that  lost  army,  madly  strewing 

The  battle-field  ere  day  is  done  ; 
From  all  that  field's  dumb  death  and  ruin, 

But  one  voice  heard,  and  that  a  dying  one." 

As  this,  our  servant  of  God  and  man,  started  in  his 
course  with  the  promise  of  a  successful  day,  so  did  he 
continue  unto  that  day's  luminous  close.  His  testimony 
is  not  a  dying  but  a  living  one.  His  life  was  indeed  a 
day  of  battle ;  but  on  the  field  of  his  contention  there  are 
evidences  of  the  truest  heroism  men  can  know ;  self-pas- 


CONCLUDING   REMARKS.  357 

sion  and  will  subdued,  deadly  outward  evils  assailed  and 
overcome,  powers  of  wrong  and  falsehood  trampled  down, 
Satan  discomfited ;  and  there  may  be  heard  above  it,  in 
honor  of  the  soul  who  there  fought  "the  good  fight  of 
faith,"  chantings  of  a  heavenly  welcome,  angel-anthems 
of  victory ! 

We  have  in  this  life,  too,  the  RELIGION  of  the  man 
who  lived  it.  And  what  a  religion  was  that!  What 
clear  and  commendable  statements  of  it,  what  repeated 
illustrations  of  its  beauty  and  power,  what  vindications 
of  its  excellence,  what  pleadings  in  its  behalf,  are  wit 
nessed  in  his  own  words ;  and,  then,  what  a  living  embod 
iment  of  it  in  the  advocate  himself !  Could  a>  religion 
that  wrought  such  a  life  spring  from  any  other  than  a 
heavenly  source  ?  Is  there  want  of  vitality,  is  there 
lacking  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  it  ?  Reader,  these  are  ques 
tions  to  you.  Art  thou  a  professor  of  the  faith  which 
this  life  represents  ?  And  is  there  with  thee  readiness  of 
soul  to  acknowledge  the  full  teaching  of'  this  faith  ?  Is 
the  faith  with  thee  a  form  of  words  ?  an  array  of  theologi 
cal  opinions  ?  or  a  life-power,  manifesting  itself  in  regen 
erating  the  man,  and  taking  his  holiest  sympathies  where- 
ever  this  faith  may  apply  to  any  wrong  that  serves  to 
keep  the  world  ajar,  and  alienated  from  its  God  ?  Con 
sider.  Or,  hast  thou  fervently  blessed  the  Great  Father 
for  this  teaching  of  a  faithful  one,  and  seen  in  his  true 
course  new  confirmations  of  a  religion  which  has  been  to 
thee  the  bread  and  the  water  of  life  ?  Take  new  strength 
from  the  testimony  which  this  heavenly  witness  has  given 


358  MEMOIR   OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

thee  !  Or,  once  more,  is  the  religion  affirmed  and  exem 
plified  in  this  memoir,  a  new  one  to  thee,  needing  still  to 
be  interpreted,  that  thou  mayst  the  more  clearly  know 
of  the  doctrine,  whether  it  be  of  God  or  of  men? 
Hearken  diligently  to  its  pretensions,  and  ask  thyself, 
as  in  the  presence  of  the  Omniscient  One,  what  revela 
tion  better  adapted  to  our  nature  could  be  given  us. 
"  Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he 
loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our 
sins.  Beloved,  if  God  so  loved  us,  we  ought  also  to  love 
one  another."  Man's  highest  good  in  God  his  heavenly 
Father ;  Love's  paternity  ;  Love's  fraternal  sympathy ; 
Love's  constant  service  ;  Love's  subduing  and  redeem 
ing  power  over  sin ;  Love's  perpetual  adoration  ! 


POETICAL  TRIBUTE.  359 

POETICAL    TRIBUTE. 


REV.  JOHN  MOORE. 

BY    MKS.    M.    A.    LIVEEMORE. 
"  And  he  was  not,  for  God  took  him." 

NOT  slowly  down  the  steep  of  life, 
With  weary,  halting,  faltering  tread, 

Not  slowly,  numbed  by  torpid  age, 
Made  he  the  journey  to  the  dead. 

For  him  no  nights  of  pain  were  stored, 
That  eat  the  life,  like  rust,  away  ; 

No  restless  couch,  no  darkened  room, 
Turning  the  night-time  into  day. 

For  him  pale  sickness  waited  not, 

His  feet  through  death's  dark  vale  to  lead, 
Cleaving  each  day  its  deeper  shade, 

Seeing  each  day  life's  shores  recede. 

But  in  his  manhood's  vigorous  prime, 
While  men  laid  honors  at  his  feet, 

While  wrestling  with  the  toils  of  life, 
And  strong  with  love  his  great  heart  beat ; 

While  warm  his  lips  with  holy  fire, 
While  thrilled  his  accents  on  the  air, 

His  last  words  uttered  for  the  truth, 
And  hushed  his  pleading  voice  of  prayer  ; 

E'enjis  he  hasted  to  his  home, 

An  angel  met  him  on  the  way  ; 
"  The  Lord  hath  need  of  thee,"  he  said, 

And  oped  the  gate  of  heaven  straightway. 


360  MEMOIR    OF  JOHN   MOORE. 

Prone  in  the  arms  of  death  he  fell  — 
This  men  behtld,  and  nothing  more  ; 

0,  Faith,  anoint  our  eyes  to  see 
The  angels  that  his  soul  upbore  ! 

One  moment  —  through  the  busy  mart 
He  pressed  his  way,  amid  its  throngs  ; 

The  next  —  and  earth  for  him  was  not ; 
He  stood  in  heaven,  and  joined  its  songs. 

Within  his  home  a  dear  one  sat, 
To  ope  for  him  the  ready  door  ; 

To  ope  for  her  a  heavenly  home, 
He  turned  aside,  and  went  before. 

Be  done  with  tears  !  why  should  we  weep 
When  God  calls  home  his  children  so  ? 

Be  done  with  tears  !  for  soon  will  come 
The  angel  beckoning  us  to  go. 


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